Category: Transportation
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 [...]
Bose confirmation at FRA by U.S. Senate opens door for Rule of 2 regulation
From left: SMART Transportation Division Minnesota State Legislative Director Nick Katich, Michigan SLD Don Roach, Amtrak employee Stefan Schweitzer, then-FRA Deputy Administrator Amit Bose, TD Local State Legislative Director L68 (Chicago, Ill.) member Keisha Hamb-Grover and [...]
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 202 member dies in yard accident
SMART Transportation Division member Jeff Jones of Local 202 (Denver, Colo.) passed away on Feb. 9, 2022, after a switching accident in Globeville rail yard in Denver. Brother Jones, of Northglenn, Colo., was a member of our union for more than a decade, joining in August 201 [...]Local 1715 bus operator killed by gunfire while in service in Charlotte, N.C.
A member of Local 1715 (Charlotte, N.C.) lost his life over the weekend in a senseless act of gun violence after he was shot Friday while operating his bus in Charlotte, N.C. Ethan Rivera, 41, a member of our union since May 2021, died Saturday while being treated at a Charlo [...]
Rail members’ input sought by FRA for fatigue survey
The Federal Railroad Administration is asking T&E rail members of the SMART Transportation Division to participate in a wide-reaching survey of T&E personnel on the topic of fatigue. Participants working in T&E roles in either passenger or freight service are high [...]
SMART-TD, BLET file in opposition to preliminary injunction in attendance dispute at BNSF
CLEVELAND, Ohio, (February 8, 2022) — Yesterday, SMART-TD and the BLET filed their oppositions to BNSF’s request for the court to convert the January 25, 2022, Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) into a preliminary injunction. The unions each filed for their own preliminary inj [...]Member fatally shot in shooting
Amtrak conductor and Local 1470 (Edmonston, Md.) member James E. Blue III, 43, was shot multiple times Jan. 25 outside a home he was in the process of remodeling while talking on a cellphone to his son, who is away at college. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pro [...]