We are calling all available members to join forces with our 500 dedicated SMART-TD brothers and sisters at the MBTA commuter railroad operated by Keolis in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hundreds of rail workers gathered in Houston to discuss labor issues across organizations at the annual Texas rally. Attendees enjoyed great food, great fellowship, and prepared to face our shared challenges with a renewed sense of solidarity.
In a letter to SMART-TD members, Marty Oberman, retired chair of the Surface Transportation Board, details the progress and policies at risk in this election. “The protections of rail workers … depends a lot on whether these important offices are filled by a worker-oriented administration. We will need an Administration that will appoint officials who care about rail workers and continue the aggressive oversight [provided] by the current Democratic-led STB and FRA.”
Like other federal agencies, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has been operating under a continuing resolution since October 1, 2024, the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025.
Great news for railroad workers! Starting in 2025, monthly health and wellness contributions will drop by 10.2% because of fewer claims filed in 2024. This landmark achievement is a testament to the hard work and responsible choices of our members!
No one deserves to wake up in the morning and wonder, is today going to be the day that I'm verbally assaulted while I'm doing my job? Is someone going to lay hands on me, spit on me, stab me, shoot me? No one deserves to wake up and wonder “is today the day that I lose limbs? That I suffer a career or life altering injury? Is today the day that I don't make it home?”
That's not Republican. That's not Democrat. That is union. And we should stand united when we talk about these issues. Do not let someone else drive a wedge between you. We must move forward together.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, our union has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to supporting one another in times of crisis. Thanks to your generous contributions, SMART and our general president, Michael Coleman, have established three distribution centers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. These centers provide immediate assistance to our members.
The SMART Transportation Division would like to congratulate our Mechanical Division peers for ratifying their new collective bargaining agreements. Their agreements with BNSF, CSXT and Norfolk Southern guarantee wage increases, improvements in paid vacation, stronger health and welfare benefits, and maintain a consistent employee monthly cost-share contribution.
A message from SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson clarifying the Tentative Agreements for CSX, NS, and BNSF members: a breakdown of wage increases and enhanced benefits without sacrificing work rules, all while ensuring job security for conductors.