SMART-TD, BLET petition FRA for emergency protocols regarding COVID-19

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 20) — The SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) today filed a joint request urging the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to issue an Emergency Order (EO) to address employee safety conditions in response to the national COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. “The employees we represent are essential […]

RRB announces cancellation of spring pre-retirement seminars because of COVID-19

John Bragg, labor member of the Railroad Retirement Board, issued the following statement on March 19, 2020: Based on the best information currently available and guidance issued by public health officials, the Office of the Labor Member has canceled all Pre-Retirement Seminars scheduled from March through June until further notice. We made this difficult decision […]

COVID-19 hits close to home: UP worker tests positive

Union Pacific has announced that a 50-year-old man that works in UP’s Bailey Yard in North Platte, Neb., has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee and a number of co-workers who came into contact with him are currently quarantined at home. It’s suspected that the man got the virus while traveling to California and vacationing […]

COVID-19: Emotional support services available to all

Watch a primer video about COVID-19 United Behavioral Health/Optum offer a free emotional support help line. The help line is available 24/7 and open to the public for as long as necessary, providing access to specially trained mental health specialists to help people manage stress and anxiety so they can continue to address everyday needs. […]

TTD unions release principles for combating the COVID-19 health crisis

The AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, of which SMART Transportation Division is a member, released the following on March 18, 2020: The people who build, operate and maintain our nation’s transportation systems are struggling, as are most Americans, with the scope and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spread of the disease does not appear to […]

DOL OLMS issues release concerning union elections and mandatory LM reporting amid COVID-19

Advisory on Union Officer Elections and Public Disclosure Reporting in Areas Affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) issues this advisory regarding the labor union officer election requirements under Title IV and the reporting requirements of Title II of the Labor-Management Reporting and […]

TD President’s statement regarding COVID-19

MEMORANDUM Officers and Staff SMART Transportation Division Dear Brothers and Sisters: As the COVID-19 continues to impact our country and its day-to-day operations, I have received a number of inquiries concerning travel and day-to-day business for union officers and staff. I will simply state that at this time, it is my personal decision to continue […]

SMART COVID-19 Resources for Union Members

SMART takes all threats to members and the general public seriously and stands ready to assist those in our communities when dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Public Health Agency (PHA) have been responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and have confirmed […]

Local 480 drives unprecedented growth at Daikin in Southeastern Minnesota

SMART members across North America are living in extraor­dinary times. And nowhere are these extraordinary times, with all their challenges and opportunities, better exemplified than in Faribault, Minnesota, a town of approximately 25,000 people and the home of SMART Local 480. In Faribault and nearby Owatonna, money from laws passed by the Biden administration has […]