“Working Americans must act together, because the only things that can be done for workers must be done by workers – collectively. Like Washington, Jefferson and Adams, we don’t need a king – we need each other.” – Tom O’Brien. Read the article in its [...]
David Pryor, Amtrak conductor and member of SMART TD Local 168, loves his job on the commuter rail and shared his sentiments and experiences in a recent interview with The Atlantic. Not only does the job provide him with the opportunity to travel, he also noted that being o [...]
By John Risch, SMART TD National Legislative Director For those of you who don’t know me, I’m honored to serve as your elected National Legislative Director. I came from the ranks, starting in the track department on the Burlington Northern and went into train service, spendi [...]
Proposed rule: “Competitive Passenger Rail Service Pilot Program” The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register August 22. This proposed rulemaking from the FRA is a direct result of Section 1130 [...]
SMART Transportation Division wishes everyone a happy Labor Day. Read below to learn about the history of Labor Day. Department of Labor on the history of Labor Day Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the so [...]
New trainsets to enter service in 2021; Station upgrades and improvements for track capacity and ride quality among infrastructure upgrades WASHINGTON – Amtrak is contracting with Alstom to produce 28 next-generation high-speed trainsets that will replace the equipment used t [...]
SMART TD State Legislative Director of the New England States, George Casey, reports that he and Assistant State Legislative Director Chris Weldon attended a presentation given by Senator Elizabeth Warren (Mass. – D) that focused on “America’s Agenda.” [...]
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued the final rule for the Public Transportation Safety Program that establishes procedural rules for FTA to administer a comprehensive safety program to improve the safety of federally-funded public transportation systems. The fina [...]
Federal Agency Charged Railroad Company Refused to Hire Qualified Machinist Due to Epilepsy SEATTLE — The Washington, D.C.-based National Passenger Railroad Corporation, better known as Amtrak, will pay $112,000 and provide other relief to settle a federal disability di [...]
We are pleased to announce that SMART TD members on New Jersey Transit have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. Steve Burkert, SMART TD general chairperson; and Doyle Turner, SMART TD vice president; led the fight for a fair and equitable agreement while withstand [...]