Category: Local Corner
SMART-TD mourns the loss of Local 1374 conductor Erik O’Brien
Local 1374 (New Castle, Pa.) conductor Erik D. O’Brien, 44, lost his life Saturday, May 21, 2022, when his car hit the back of a semi-truck on his way home from work around 4 p.m. A 1996 graduate of Marlington High School in Alliance, Ohio, Brother O’Brien was a member of the [...]
Bill’s passage would place Santa Cruz Metro under PERB
A bill under consideration in the California Legislature would place employees of the Santa Cruz Metro under the umbrella of the state’s Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to foster improved relations between public employees and management. S.B. 957 was introduced in t [...]
TD SLD becomes president of NJ SEED coalition
New Jersey State Legislative Director Ron Sabol received a big honor March 2 after being elected to lead the influential New Jersey Society for Environmental, Economic Development (NJ SEED) coalition by the group’s trustees and members. N.J. Sen. Patrick J. Diegnan Jr., chair [...]
TD Local 759 president meets DOT head
Local 759 (Paramus, N.J.) President and Legislative Representative Rafael Becerra met with Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Tom Carper and Gov. John Carney on Friday, March 4, in Wilmington, Del., as part of an event promoting the Bipartisan Infrast [...]
Transportation bills limiting train length gain traction in Iowa
A pair of bills limiting train length have been introduced in the Iowa House and Senate and have gained some traction. House File 2339 and Senate File 2286 both contain language that would limit the length of any freight train to 8,500 feet. House File 278 (now renumbered as [...]
Suspect in robbery of Metra conductor in police custody
A suspected robber who attacked an on-duty Metra conductor at Van Buren station in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon was taken into custody Wednesday by Metra police in Calumet City, the carrier reports. Police said the robber brandished a handgun and took an undisclosed amount of [...]
Local 1704 mourns death of vice chairperson Debria Bradford
Vice Chairperson Debria L. Bradford (GCA-STU), 56, a longtime officer of SMART Transportation Division Local 1704 (Kansas City, Mo.), passed away Jan. 26, 2022. “She served numerous positions in our local — sergeant of arms, trustee,” said General Chairperson Sharon Harris (G [...]
SMART-TD member loses home in fire
On January 9, 2022, tragedy struck in the form of a fire for Alaska Railroad conductor and SMART-TD Local 1626 (Anchorage, Alaska) member Danielle Gallagher. Gallagher and her two children lost their home near Palmer, Alaska, that night, reports Local 1626 Secretary & Tre [...]