By John Risch, National Legislative Director Last year, SMART Transportation Division tracked 10 votes and two bills in the U.S. House of Representatives that directly impacted our members, families and retirees. These votes ranged from federal funding for Amtrak and Essentia [...]
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has announced that during the lapse in federal funding for certain government operations which began Jan. 20, ongoing benefit payments will continue and all RRB offices are expected to remain open. RRB field offices, operating with red [...]
Three former rail workers were found not guilty of criminal negligence by a Canadian jury for their connection to the 2013 Lac-Megantic crash. Locomotive engineer Tom Harding, traffic controller Richard Labrie and manager of train operations Jean Demaitre were charged in 2014 [...]
SMART Transportation Division Colorado State Legislative Director Carl Smith reports that legislators in his state are again considering a Right to Work For Less bill. This is the second time in two years that politicians are attempting to undermine the right to union represe [...]
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao said at CES, an annual technology show in Las Vegas, that she plans to take steps toward creating policy guiding the development of self-driving transportation for trucks, buses, transit systems and trains. One of the steps that Ch [...]
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao has announced that Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Deputy Administrator Daniel K. Elwell will serve as Acting FAA Administrator upon the conclusion of Administrator Michael Huerta’s term. Huerta’s term ended at midnight on [...]
The office of Walter Barrows, the labor member of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) announced changes to the board’s 2018 slate of informational meetings in a release distributed Wednesday. Rail union officials and any interested rail employees within five years of retireme [...]
Local Secretary/Treasurers will find it easier to order supplies from the SMART Transportation Division office with the introduction of a fillable supply order PDF form on the SMART TD website. All you have to do is visit the Local Toolbox and click under the Disbursements su [...]
“Your Track to Health,” the web portal that distributes national railroad health and welfare plan information to SMART Transportation Division members, has added a new shorter URL for members to access. To get the latest info on these railroad H&W plan offerings, TD membe [...]
Today, every member of the SMART union will pause with our entire nation in honor, solidarity and remembrance of the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. King’s brilliance, vision, leadership and ultimate personal sacrifice shifted the course of American history [...]