Transportation News
SMART-TD announces enhanced benefits with new Voluntary Long-Term Disability (VLTD) carrier
SMART Transportation Division members now have the chance to get up to five times the guaranteed coverage in the Union’s new VLTD plan. Beginning March 1, 2023, Sun Life Financial will administer the VLTD Plan and provide the 24-hour coverage plan participants enjoy now, with up to $5,000 of guaranteed approved tax-free coverage. In the […]
Local 168 mourns passing of Chairperson Garcia
Jose F. “Joey” Garcia, local chairperson of Local 168 (Chicago, Ill.), passed away suddenly in December at his home in Chicago. Brother Garcia, 46, actively participated in our union since his railroad career began in 2005. An Amtrak conductor, Brother Garcia served as a legislative representative, trustee, vice local chairperson and finally as local chairperson. […]
TD Disaster Relief Fund in urgent need of donations
Dear SMART-TD members and retirees — Major disasters can occur anytime and anywhere to our union Brothers and Sisters, and the SMART Transportation Division Disaster Relief Fund is primed to assist members in their times of need. In recent memory, the fund has helped during disastrous cold in Texas, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and fires. Our […]
Union Plus scholarship deadline approaching; others open for TD members’ families
With the new year in full swing, it’s time to begin applying for scholarships for the 2023-24 school year. If you have a child or grandchild in college or about to attend college, now is the time to do your research and apply. Some scholarships you might consider applying for are administered by the SMART-TD […]
Remembering MLK
SMART-TD shares with the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the dream that people should be judged not by the color of their skin, their nationality nor their religious beliefs, but by the content of their hearts. King’s brilliance, vision, leadership and ultimate personal sacrifice shifted the course of American history by shedding light and […]
SMART-TD stands in solidarity with the Air Line Pilots Association, International
In today’s age of economics driven by corporate greed, there are many trade unions in our country at odds with the so-called “captains” of their industries and the profit-obsessed mindset of upper management. Few unions, however, share such similar struggles as the members of the SMART Transportation Division and those that represent airline crews. Currently, […]
FRA letter warns rail bosses of enforcement measures if training deficiencies are not resolved
In a letter sent Jan. 5, 2023, to the CEOs of the seven Class I railroads operating in the United States as well as to Association of American Railroads (AAR) President/CEO Ian Jeffries, Federal Railroad Administrator Amit Bose warned them that “incremental” changes to carriers’ training, qualification and certification programs have in some cases not […]
FMCSA pre-employment requirement in effect Jan. 6
On November 4, 2022, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse published information titled “Pre-employment Investigations for Drug and Alcohol Program Violations.” The Clearinghouse notice (see below) is a reminder to certain employers regarding a change requirement that went into effect Jan. 6, 2023. On that date, three years of violation data […]