FRA adjusts accident/incident reporting threshold

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a Final Rule on Dec. 24, 2013, that increases the rail equipment accident/incident reporting threshold for 2014 from $9,900 to $10,500. This action is taken every year to ensure the figures accurately reflect cost increases [...]

PEB 244 Issues Recommendations In LIRR Dispute

Presidential Emergency Board 244 issued its recommendations Dec. 21 for settling a dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and its unionized employees represented by the SMART Transportation Division and several other labor unions. The board’s recommendations are non-bindin [...]

Arbitrator Gottesman’s Decision of November 4, 2013

On November 4, 2013, Arbitrator Michael Gottesman issued a second decision related to several questions concerning implementation of the merger and establishment of a single union, SMART.  The Transportation Division requested that General President Nigro hold off posting the [...]

HVAC Service Tech Course In St Louis

This comprehensive class is designed for the beginning service technician. The concentrated training program consists of 96 hours of intense classroom and hands on training within a 12-day schedule. The objective is to enable participants to acquire a complete understanding o [...]

OSHA Introduces New Online Form for Whistleblowers

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is seeking to streamline the whistleblower process by introducing an online form to register discrimination and retaliation complaints. The form provides enough information for whistleblower investigators to follow up a [...]

CATS Local 1715 Averts Strike, Gets Three-Year Deal

SMART Transportation Division Local 1715 bus operators employed by Transit Management of Charlotte, Inc., Dec. 12 ratified a three-year agreement with management, averting a possible strike. The new agreement calls for annual wage increases, paid retroactively to July 1, plus [...]

Conservative Senator Shocks With Staunch Pro-Union Stance

Speaking in Toronto last week, conservative party senator Hugh Segal praised the role of unions in Canada saying, “Active unions and free collective bargaining are essential to building a prosperous Canada and a stable middle class.” Earlier this year Sen. Segal led the Senat [...]