Category: Two-person railroad crews
The largest freight rail union in the United States reinforces the safety and necessity of having two crew members aboard freight trains.
Union leaders demand clarification from FRA on waivers
SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) President Dennis Pierce sought clarification today from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the agency granted 60-day emergency waiver requests t [...]SMART-TD, BLET petition FRA for emergency protocols regarding COVID-19
CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 20) — The SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) today filed a joint request urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to issue an Emergency Order (EO) to address employee safety c [...]
When two made a difference …
The incident last month in East St. Paul, Minn., where a two-person crew alertly stopped their train and rescued a 5-year-old girl who was wandering in the snow is just a single instance where having two on the crew has made a difference to the public. There are more instance [...]
Washington State Senate passes two-person crew bill
SMART Transportation Division Washington State Legislative Director Herb Krohn reports that, despite a last-ditch effort by Senate Minority Leader Mark Schoesler to quash it, the two-person freight crew legislation bill passed through the state Senate by a 34-15 vote. Schoesl [...]
National Legislative Director Hynes speaks out in Trains Magazine about railroad issues
SMART-TD National Legislative Director Greg Hynes In an interview to appear in the April edition of Trains Magazine, SMART-TD National Legislative Director Greg Hynes was interviewed about key issues and industry trends including Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR), two-per [...]President Ferguson: Facing crew challenges, TD and BLET will act in solidarity
Sometimes it takes something major to happen for people to sit up and take notice. A wake-up call, if you will. From the standpoint of our national contract negotiations, our union got another wake-up call even before our first session that is scheduled for the last week in F [...]
Local 464 S&T saves teen near tracks in Oklahoma
The secretary & treasurer of SMART-TD Local 464 (Arkansas City, Kan.) rendered medical assistance to a teen who was found bleeding from a head wound on the side of the tracks in mid-February, saving the boy’s life. Jason Schwartz, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in [...]
Virginia members: State two-person crew bill has hearing Monday in the Senate
Virginia State Legislative Director Ronnie Hobbs reports that H.B. 440, the two-person freight crew bill that has passed the state House, is scheduled for a hearing Monday, February 17, at the state Capitol. “We’re asking all of our Virginia members and their fami [...]