On Monday, January 16, 2017, every member of the SMART union will stand with our entire nation in honor, solidarity and remembrance of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King’s brilliance, vision, leadership and ultimate personal sacrifice shifted the cours [...]
Charlene Payne, a long-time UnitedHealthcare representative for the Railroad Accounts, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, December 17, 2016. Payne was a dear friend to many at SMART Transportation Division, and her passion and dedication in serving all railroad members was re [...]
President-elect Trump wasted no time in slamming a union leader for speaking the truth. Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999 at the Carrier plant in Indiana, stated that the actual number of jobs that will remain at the Indiana plant is near 800, not the n [...]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that the standard monthly Part B premium will be $134.00 in 2017. However, most Medicare beneficiaries will not pay this amount. By law, Part B premiums for current enrollees cannot increase by more than the amoun [...]
Ed Wytkind, president of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), issued a statement regarding Trump’s recent nomination of Elaine Chao as Secretary of Transportation. Read the complete statement here.
The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA or GA-46000) Plan will increase from $151,600 to $157,800 beginning Jan. 1, 2017. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management had agreed on various procedures to adminis [...]
By John Previsich, President, SMART Transportation Division It is said that two things to never discuss at a family gathering are religion and politics and for the most part that is very good advice. But I’m going to break that rule here–I view my brothers and sisters in the [...]
The National Labor Relation Board just ruled that Trump’s refusal to bargain with the 500+ unionized employees at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas is in violation of federal labor laws. Read the complete article here.
By John Lesniewski, Vice President, SMART Transportation Division In the July/August edition of the SMART Transportation Division News, both SMART General President Joseph Sellers and SMART Transportation Division President John Previsich wrote extensively about the importanc [...]
In two press releases, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) announced increases to benefits and retiree earnings limits for 2017. Read the press releases below. RRB 16-7: Benefits increase RRB 16-8: Retiree earnings limits increase