On the last day of the SMART Transportation Division Convention, held in San Diego, Calif., General President Joseph Nigro addressed the delegates and discussed transparency, solidarity between construction and transportation workers, along with giving a look at the upcoming [...]
The term “higher education” can take on many connotations. Where some believe it means attending a two- or four-year college or university, there is another side to higher education – apprenticeship in the skilled labor trades. Apprentices at more than 153 unionized sheet met [...]
An Indiana Judge has ruled that the state’s “Right-to-Work” law is unconstitutional, the second such blow to the legislation since its passage in 2012. Lake County Circuit Judge George Paras decided against the state in United Steelworkers vs. Zoeller on July 17th, ruling tha [...]
The following message was sent to the SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Office from Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo. Friends: Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation released two companion rulemaking proposals to improve the safe transportat [...]
WASHINGTON – A major hauler of crude oil by rail has sued the state of Maryland to stop the public release of information about the shipments, according to court documents. The suit was filed Wednesday, the same day the U.S. Department of Transportation announced proposed rul [...]
SEATTLE – City Councilmember Mike O’Brien and all eight of his council colleagues signed a letter calling for the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to issue an emergency order prohibiting the shipment of Bakken crude oil in legacy DOT-111 tank train cars. Bakken is highl [...]
DALLAS – BNSF Railway Co., the only U.S. railroad ordered by the regulator (Surface Transportation Board) to provide weekly service updates, is losing market share to Union Pacific Corp., its main competitor, as train speeds slow and on-time deliveries drop. The shift in mark [...]
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal highlights the benefits of apprenticeships, noting the positive effect they have on the careers of those who participate. The article seeks to provide examples of those who have benefited from apprenticeship across numerous fields, [...]
After over four years of battling with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority during a difficult and highly publicized contract dispute, SMART Transportation Division members have prevailed on Long Island. The MTA was seeking net zero wage increases, major pension r [...]
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe train carrying crude oil derailed as it left a railyard in north Seattle on Thursday, but there were no reports of a spill or injuries, BNSF said in a statement. Four railcars came off the tracks at around 2 a.m. PDT (0900 GMT), three of which w [...]