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SMART News highlights the labor advocacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed the course of history, leading a pioneering crusade for racial justice and civil rights. Unfortunately, his bold vision for the country and the world is often diluted in favor of a sanitized version of history, and many important characteristics of his activism are swept under the rug – including […]

From the Ballast: Accountability? Shaw didn’t show it

“From the Ballast” is an open column for SMART Transportation Division rail members to state their perspective on issues related to the railroad industry. Members of the union are encouraged to submit content by emailing to news_TD@smart-union.org. Columns are published at the union’s discretion and may be published in the SMART-TD newspaper. Most of us […]

Michigan moves closer to repealing anti-worker “right-to-work” law

Pro-labor elected officials in Michigan this week pushed the state one step closer to restoring workers’ right to collectively bargain and ensuring workers are offered competitive wages.    House Democrats voted to repeal the state’s decade-old so-called “right-to-work” law in a 56-53, party-line vote. In 2012, the country watched as SMART members joined over 10,000 […]

SMART News: SMART members, building trades workers rally for a PLA in Prince George’s County, Maryland

Prince George’s (PG) County in Maryland is currently considering a project labor agreement (PLA) for the county’s blueprint schools program, which will use a public-private partnership model for more than $1 billion in school construction in the county. The PLA, which has faced opposition from entities like the Association of Builders and Contractors, would be […]

Utah rail safety bill awaits signature of governor

As has been documented, we’ve been pushing quite a few pieces of rail safety legislation in many states. Of all the places SMART has legislation, Utah State Legislative Director Dan Brewer may have had the most-ambitious agenda this cycle especially considering his state has one of the hardest climates to create traction for labo- friendly […]

SMART-MD, IBEW, IAM Unions File Outsourcing Suit Against BNSF Railway

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 19, and International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) issued the following statement: On February 24, the IBEW, IAM District 19, and SMART-MD filed a lawsuit against BNSF Railway in the United […]

Bills of importance to TD members introduced in Michigan

The state of Michigan is a great microcosm of the United States as a whole. It has major metropolitan areas, heavy industry, expansive agriculture and a diverse transportation network.   Train tracks crisscross “The Big Mitten,” moving people to and from the state and getting products to both national and international markets. Belying their role in […]