Category: News
Retired N.J. State Director O’Connell wins freeholder seat in runoff election
Retired New Jersey State Legislative Director Daniel O’Connell recently won a runoff election for Burlington County freeholder. According to the New Jersey Globe, O’Connell defeated contender Gina LaPlaca by 10 votes, 190-180, in the election that took place Jan. 19. “I want [...]
New England Alt. Legislative Director Donald W. Wheaton Jr. dead at 62
Donald “Donnie” Wheaton Jr., 62, died unexpectedly Saturday, Jan. 19. Hiring out with the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad – now Keolis – Wheaton served as a conductor. He was a 42-year employee. Wheaton became a member of the United Transportation Union Local 898 (Boston, [...]Trump administration renominates candidates to transportation positions
A number of candidates to transportation-related oversight posts in the federal government whose nominations were returned to President Donald Trump in early January have been renominated to those posts. Thelma Drake has been renominated to be the administrator of the DOT’s F [...]
TTD, SMART TD urge end to shutdown
SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich supports a rapid resolution to the partial federal government shutdown and fully endorses this message from AFL-CIO TTD President Larry Willis that was sent to U.S. representatives. January 10, 2019 End this Unnecessary a [...]
OSHA’s guide to working in cold weather
Winter weather presents hazards including slippery roads/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries, or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather. OSHA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric [...]
FRA publishes minimum drug and alcohol testing rates for 2019
On Dec. 28, 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published its determination of minimum random drug and alcohol testing rates for 2019 for covered service employees and Maintenance of Way (MOW) employees in the Federal Register. FRA determined that the minimum annu [...]
Local 495 member dies in train accident
Jeffrey Keith Hague, 34, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, as the result of a railroad accident in Oakley, Kan. Hague was a conductor for Union Pacific and a member of Local 495 (Salina, Kan.) since 2012. Hague was the salutatorian of his 2002 graduating class. He went on from high [...]