Previsich
Previsich

By John Previsich, 
SMART Transportation Division President – 

Employment for our members in the transportation industry is distinguished in many respects. Regardless of mode – air, bus or rail – it is primarily an industry that operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, with its employees often unscheduled and subject to call at a moment’s notice. It is not unusual for transportation employees to have no scheduled days off, no advanced knowledge of whether they will be working or at home on a holiday, birthday or other special event, and no way of knowing when asked by friends or relatives what they are doing next week, this weekend, or even tomorrow.

While such conditions may appear to be very different than those of our members in other, more scheduled work environments, one need only look at the commonalities between the industries to see that our members in the Transportation Division have much more in common with our Sheet Metal brothers and sisters than may be evident at first look.

To begin with, nearly all members of the SMART organization are professionals who work highly skilled positions in a safety sensitive environment. Whether working on a job site in the construction industry, operating machinery in a production environment or moving passengers or freight on trains, planes or buses, our members hold responsible positions that require a great deal of training and education.

All of the craftwork is safety sensitive and unforgiving – from a misstep on a job site to a lapse of concentration while operating a locomotive or landing a plane, to a momentary diversion of attention while operating a bus or a production machine, the results of an error can be catastrophic.

That is why adequate training is such an important part of what we strive for, from the union-operated training facilities to the continual and rigorous oversight of our training agreements on the transportation properties that we represent.

But training by itself isn’t enough. In addition to our members mastering their crafts and showing up for duty adequately trained and prepared to work, safety also depends on proper workplace management, a responsibility that rests squarely on the shoulders of the companies and owners for whom we work.

Far too often, we hear of incidents where management blames the worker instead of the faulty work site. Far too often, the union has to step in and remind the regulatory agencies of their oversight responsibilities and, far too often, our members suffer from the unsafe work environments handed to us by our employers and for the lax regulation that allows such practices to continue.

It is the responsibility of management to provide us with a safe place to work and your union is second to none in advocating for improved safety on behalf of its membership.

This advocacy to improve safety is an area that well illustrates the benefits that can be derived from the synergy of the merged organizations. Both of our predecessor unions possess expertise in training, safety and regulatory affairs. That expertise, when coupled together, is expected to be more effective working as an integrated unit than either was before.

We hope to learn from each other, taking advantage of the skills that both unions bring to the table, to be stronger than ever in ensuring the safe workplace to which our members are entitled. This process has already commenced, with our legislative departments collaborating on safety issues at the federal, state and local levels. It is anticipated that these synergies will provide even more positive results as the integration progresses.

Previsich
Previsich

Increasing the contributions of the SMART Transportation Division’s input in shaping public transportation policy, SMART Transportation Division General Secretary & Treasurer John Previsich May 30 was named to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Freight Advisory Committee by DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

The committee is a diverse group of professionals that will provide advice and recommendations aimed at improving the national freight transportation system.

LaHood said a strong freight transportation system is critical to the nation’s economy and is essential for helping meet President Obama’s goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015.

“The strength of our economy and the strength of our national freight system go hand in hand,” LaHood said. “The members of this committee understand firsthand the critical importance of freight movement, and their valuable insight will help ensure that our system is more secure and better connected.”

Previsich was nominated for the panel by SMART Transportation Division President Mike Futhey.

“This appointment will permit the concerns of our members in the rail, airline and bus transportation industries to be placed squarely on the table for consideration and inclusion in the talks leading to the establishment of a ‘national freight plan’ for the 21st century,” Previsich said.

“The inclusion of labor representatives at the highest level of such discussions is an opportunity for input into the decision making process that will benefit our members, and all of labor, for years to come.

“The Obama administration deserves credit for ensuring that the interests of working people are a part of the nation’s long term transportation planning.”

Members of the committee provide various perspectives on freight transportation and represent various modes of transportation, geographic regions, and policy areas. Freight customers and providers, labor representatives, safety experts and government entities are all represented.

By engaging members representing diverse interests, the committee will provide recommendations to the secretary of transportation on how DOT can improve its freight transportation policies and programs.

The DOT solicited nominations in February and LaHood selected members with input from the MAP-21 Freight Implementation Team, as well as the Freight Policy Council, an internal body of DOT leadership created to facilitate cross-modal implementation of freight provisions in the recently signed surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21. 
MAP-21 established a national freight policy and called for the creation of a National Freight Strategic Plan.

Over the last four years, the Obama Administration has made considerable investments in our national freight network. Through four rounds of the TIGER Grant program, DOT has directed $1 billion toward projects that primarily address freight. This includes more than $650 million to projects that strengthen freight rail infrastructure, reduce freight bottlenecks and alleviate congestion issues.

Members will serve two-year terms and meet at least three times per year. The first NFAC meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2013, at the Department of Transportation and will include an overview of MAP-21 freight provisions and preliminary identification of NFAC activities.