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SMART TD opposes anti-worker bill that would gut overtime protections

May 5, 2017 Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed an anti-worker bill misguidedly labeled as the “Working Families Flexibility Act” (H.R. 1180). This harmful legislation would let employers give workers paid time off instead of being required to pay one and a half times [...]

Tags anti-worker legislation, HR 1180, overtime protections

Bipartisan Congress votes to rescue transportation funding from Trump’s chopping block

May 4, 2017 May 4, 2017 WASHINGTON—In the strongest bi-partisan moves since President Trump’s election, Congress passed a spending agreement called an omnibus that is in stark contrast to President Trump’s 2018 budget – in which he proposed that transportation funds be slashed by t [...]

Tags 2017 Omnibus Bill, Amtrak federal funding cuts, Caltrain federal funding, Capital Investment Grants, EAS, Federal Transportation Funds, FTA

RRB Analysis: Trump’s budget to gut Amtrak would be disastrous for ALL rail workers

May 2, 2017 If signed into law, President Trump’s 2018 budget proposal would eliminate Amtrak’s long distance train service. The immediate fall out would be significant for all American rail workers resulting in the loss of 10,000 non-Northeast Corridor Amtrak jobs by the end of this yea [...]

Tags Amtrak, Amtrak affects all rail, commuter rail, Contact LAC, Trump slashes Amtrak funds

President Trump appoints Miscimarra as NLRB chairman

April 27, 2017 Washington – Philip A. Miscimarra has been named chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by President Donald J. Trump. “It is a great honor to be named NLRB Chairman by the President,” Miscimarra said. “The Board has the important responsibility of apply [...]

Tags National Labor Relations Board, NLRB, Phillip A. Miscimarra

At least there’s this: CSX’s Harrison not a fan of one-person train crews

April 25, 2017 In an interview with Trains.com, E. Hunter Harrison, the new CEO of CSX, recently stated that he is not a fan of one-person crews. Translation: he supports two-person crews. Read the entire interview.

Tags CEO at CSX, CSX Transportation, E. Hunter Harrison, Freight rail, two-person crews

Atty. seeks to smack down Hunter Harrison’s outrageous 84 mil. ‘compensation’ bid

April 17, 2017 Trains.com recently reported that an attorney in Roanoke, Virginia is on a one-man mission to rally CSX shareholders to vote down CEO E. Hunter Harrison’s bid to line his pockets with an extra 84 million dollars as compensation for voluntarily leaving the helm at Canadi [...]

Tags CEO at CSX, corporate criminals, Corporate Greed, CSX Shareholders, CSX Transportation, E. Hunter Harrison

Trump budget could end Amtrak service in many states, including North Dakota, Minnesota

April 17, 2017 The BismarckTribune.com reported that if the Trump budget passes, the effect on commuter rail will be serious, as Amtrak services could cease in numerous states, including North Dakota and Minnesota. ‘“It’s ironic that President Trump’s first budget proposal undermines [...]

Tags Amtrak, Amtrak federal funding cuts, Commuter rail federal funding, Trump budget kills Amtrak, Trump cuts transportation federal funds

Rail ‘crew hauler’ safety measures expected to become law in state of Washington

April 12, 2017 On March 23, 2011, SMART TD member Dwight Hauck nearly died in a horrific crew transport van-train collision in a Kelso, Washington, rail yard that killed two other passengers and the driver. Hauck suffered permanent, debilitating injuries as a result of the crash. The incide [...]

Tags crew hauler safety legislation, Crew haulers, rail crew transport van accidents on the rise, rail crew transport van legislation, state of washington rail safety laws

Pres. Trump’s proposal to store nuclear waste could resuscitate Yucca Mountain rail project

April 11, 2017 President Trump is requesting $120 million in his 2018 budget to restart the licensing process to store nuclear waste under Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. This could also mean a revival for a proposed rail line to the remote site. The project was first proposed in the 1980s b [...]

Tags Nevada, nuclear waste, Trump budget, Yucca Mountain

Essential Air Service coming to an end?

April 10, 2017 In a report by Colorado Public Radio, the Essential Air Service (EAS) program is on the chopping block in Trump’s budget. EAS helps fund small airlines, like Great Lakes Airline, to provide service to smaller airports throughout the country. Without this funding, these [...]

Tags EAS, Essential Air Service, Great Lakes Airlines, Trump budget