Talking SMART: Ep. 2 Looks At SMART-Union Response to COVID-19

In the second episode of Talking SMART, we talk with SMART leadership about the impact the COVID-19 crisis is having on our members and their jobs, as well as how SMART is mobilizing across the United States and Canada to help and support members and communities in need. We first hear from Randy Krocka, the head […]

COVID-19: CDC releases symptom screening app through Apple

Apple Inc., in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), released an app and website that guides Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 symptoms. The tool provides CDC recommendations […]

COVID-19: Form launched for reports of CDC protocols not being followed

CDC guidelines state that employers should do the following to prevent the spread of COVID-19: reduce transmission among employees, maintain healthy business operations, and maintain a healthy work environment. As transportation workers are considered to be essential workers, even in a time of national emergency, making them exempt from stay-at-home orders issued by local, state […]

What the COVID-19 bill means for our railroad members

On March 27, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that provides provisions favorable to SMART Transportation Division members as the nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The bill provides a $2 trillion relief package to the nation as it copes with COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that has killed hundreds […]

State Resources and Benefits Available for Workers Impacted by COVID-19

State Resources and Benefits The following are online links to U.S. states and some local municipal resources for workers that have been impacted by COVID-19.  Within these links are resources for Unemployment Insurance as well as other support services. ALABAMA General information about the Unemployment Insurance Program Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Unemployment Benefits FAQS How to file an unemployment […]

Ferguson discusses emergency request regarding COVID-19

The following article by Dan Zukowski has been reproduced from Trains Magazine’s website with permission. Labor unions representing rail and transit workers have asked the Federal Railroad Administration for two emergency orders to address the dangers in their work environments amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The orders, requested March 20, are requested for Class I […]

SMART-TD petitions federal agencies for worker COVID-19 protections

CLEVELAND, Ohio. (March 20, 2020) — SMART Transportation Division filed a request to both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) urging them to issue Emergency Orders (EO) to address employee safety conditions in response to the national COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. “The employees we represent are essential to the health, […]

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

CLEVELAND, Ohio (March 20, 2020) — On the heels of their joint petition to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) requesting an Emergency Order (EO) to address employee safety conditions in response to the national COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, the SMART Transportation Division and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) are now asking for a […]