During each shift, Frank Rodriguez typically operates an Indiana Rail Road Co. (INRD) train by himself from Indianapolis to Switz City, Ind., and back. The locomotive engineer has covered the 180-mile round trip as a one-person crew for more than 10 years. Although there isn& [...]
Retired former Local 911 (Minneapolis) Chairperson Fred J. Croes Jr., 78, a mentor to many United Transportation Union and SMART Transportation Division officers in the Upper Midwest, died Nov. 12 of natural causes. Croes was born May 18, 1936, in St. Paul, Minn. At age 18, h [...]
The SMART Constitution and Ritual was passed at the First General Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. It represents the contributions of members representing every industry and occupation this Union services members in. Click here to view a copy of this important document.
Many veterans enlisted in the military instead of going to college. Instead of learning where their dorm room was, they learned where they would be stationed for the next year. Instead of learning statistics, they learned the art of war. For those who spent their formative ye [...]
SMART Transportation Division Washington State Legislative Director Herb Krohn Nov. 7 appeared on Northwest Now, a Public Broadcasting System program that airs in Washington on Television Station KBTC. Northwest Now is an Emmy®-award winning weekly public affairs show that go [...]
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Nov. 7 issued a final rule that strengthens training requirements for railroad employees and contractors who perform safety-related work. The rule, which was mandated by the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) of 2008, ensures safety-r [...]
After nearly six years serving as chief of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration, Joe Szabo is stepping down in January. In a statement to FRA staff, Szabo said, “I will head home to accept a position as a senior fellow for the Chicago Metrop [...]
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida-based railroad operator CSX Corp. plans to cut 300 management workers, mostly through buyouts by the end of the year. Most of the workers targeted are based at the company’s Jacksonville headquarters. Spokeswoman Melanie Cost tells The Flori [...]
A Penn State alumnus has created a scholarship that will support students enrolled in the college’s rail transportation engineering (RTE) program, a groundbreaking academic initiative designed to prepare students for placement and career advancement within the rail indu [...]
By year-end 2014, U.S. Class I railroads will have hired 45,000 employees since 2012, including an estimated 9,900 military veterans. Some 17,000 will have been hired this year, far exceeding the projected industry target of 12,000, according to the Association of American Ra [...]