Transportation News

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AP analysis: DOT miscalculated when considering brake rule

The Associated Press reported Dec. 20 that an analysis by the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) did not take into account up to $117 million in damage reductions when considering the repeal of a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rule requiring the installation of [...]

Fundraiser established for TD member affected by Calif. fire

A GoFundMe online fundraising effort has been created in order to assist a Local 492 member who lost his home in the Camp wildfire that ravaged more than 153,000 acres of Butte County, Calif. The home of Ervis R. Obregon Jr., a conductor with Union Pacific, was one of the nea [...]

CSX shareholders suing carrier’s board over Harrison hiring

A ruling is expected in January on whether a lawsuit by a trio of CSX shareholders who have sued the carrier’s board over the hiring of late CEO E. Hunter Harrison in 2017 can advance, the Florida Times-Union reports. The 72-year-old Harrison sought an $84 million finan [...]

Former UTU Assistant President Lloyd W. Swert passes away

Lloyd W. “Corky” Swert, who served as United Transportation Union assistant president in the 1990s, passed away at his home in Hillsdale, Mich., on Wednesday. He was 86. Swert, a member of UTU Local 2 in Toledo, Ohio, hired on as a brakeman for the New York Centra [...]

SMART TD members help crew Bush funeral train

Two SMART Transportation Division members from Local 524 in Palestine, Texas, were given the privilege by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) to serve their country as conductors on President George H.W. Bush’s funeral train, Thursday, Dec. 6. The funeral procession consisted o [...]

RRB: Railroad Retirement and Unemployment Insurance taxes in 2019

The amounts of compensation subject to railroad retirement tier I and tier II payroll taxes will increase in 2019, while the tax rates on employers and employees will stay the same. In addition, unemployment insurance contribution rates paid by railroad employers will continu [...]

Two more suits added against CSX alleging FMLA violations

According to the Jacksonville Business Journal, two more lawsuits were filed Nov. 29 alleging that CSX Corp. has violated employees’ rights protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). According to the Department of Labor, “FMLA provides eligible emplo [...]

Alaska Railroad back to running at full throttle after earthquake

The Alaska Railroad (ARR) is back up and running after Friday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Regularly scheduled freight services started running again Tuesday, Dec. 4. ARR suspended all service after the quake in order to assess damage along its nearly 500 miles of tracka [...]

UPDATED: Two TD Connect workshops remain open for 2019

Because of great demand, a new round of workshops has been added to help local treasurers learn how to use TD Connect, the new eBilling system that also manages member records. A series of five prior workshops scheduled for late 2018 filled to capacity. A second round was add [...]