Category: News
New Mexico anti-right-to-work bill signed into law
In a win for labor, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed House Bill 85 into law, prohibiting counties and other local entities from enacting their own right-to-work laws. Sponsored by Democratic Reps. Daymon Ely and Andrea Romero, the bill-turned-law invalidates righ [...]
Local 60 legislative rep is New Jersey Transit board nominee
David Rasmussen, legislative representative for SMART Transportation Division Local 60 (Newark, N.J.), has been nominated as the rail labor representative on the New Jersey Transit (NJT) board by Gov. Phil Murphy. “A strong NJ TRANSIT Board is critical to ensuring a leadershi [...]
Your Track to Health lists assistance for flooding victims
The disastrous flooding in the Midwest has affected thousands of people, including SMART Transportation Division members. To help assist those who have had their lives affected by the floods, Your Track to Health has compiled a list of services and information for behavioral [...]
Two large U.S. rail unions announce national two-person crew legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 22, 2019) – Two large railroad unions in the United States have pledged their joint support for the Safe Freight Act legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Don Young (R – Alaska). The Safe Freight Act (H.R. 1748) requires that two certified crew mem [...]
Former UTU communications director passes away
Born in 1930, Art Hanford began his railroad career as a darkroom technician for the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railway in 1953. While with the C&O, he earned a reputation as a quality photographer and writer. He was a trusted employee of Cyrus Eaton, the C&O Boa [...]
Two-person crew made law in Colorado
On March 21, 2019, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation into law that requires that all freight trains in the state are operated by a crew of at least two individuals. The signing of H.B. 1034 caps a massive effort by SMART Transportation Division members that spanned [...]
RRB announces schedule of spring pre-retirement seminars
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has announced its schedule of pre-retirement seminars for March – June 2019. The RRB hosts these seminars for rail employees and spouses who are within five years of retirement. The board recently combined their traditional informatio [...]
FRA denies KCSR’s request to outsource brake tests to Mexico
In a victory for safety, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) denied a request by Kansas City Southern Railroad (KCSR) to outsource brake inspections to Mexico, the AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department (TTD) reports. “In its decision, the FRA correctly told KCSR th [...]