Transportation News

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Member hit and killed by Union Pacific train

WALLA WALLA COUNTY, Washington — John P. Schneider, 54, of Spokane Valley, Wash., was hit and killed by a Union Pacific train around 5 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31. The accident occurred near the Wallula train yard in Walla Walla County, Wash. No one else was injured in the ac [...]

Missouri, New Hampshire poised to become right-to-work states

Members in Missouri & New Hampshire: Call your State House Representatives! The state of Missouri recently passed a right-to-work (for less) bill in the State Senate, 21-12. A similar bill is expected to pass in the state’s House as well. If the bill passes in the S [...]

Unity Propels Results In New York

With roughly 340,000 passengers every weekday, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the busiest commuter rail system in North America—one of only a few systems in the world that run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. In 2015, its fourth straight year with increased [...]

Driver in collision with Amtrak train could face charges

PORTLAND, Maine — A Portland man who drove his car around the gates at a railroad crossing as an Amtrak train approached could face charges. Derso Mekonen, 56, drove his car around a line of vehicles stopped at a railroad crossing, Friday, Jan. 27, and collided with an [...]

Ann Begeman replaces Elliott as STB Chairman

President Donald J. Trump has appointed Ann Begeman to serve as Acting Chairman of the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Begeman is currently serving a second, five-year term as a Member of the Board following her recent nomination by President Barack Obama Dec. 7, 2016, an [...]

Negotiations update on the National Rail Contract

Dear members, On December 5, 2016, SMART Transportation Division issued a press release to announce that the unions participating in the Coordinated Bargaining Group (CBG) had requested that the National Mediation Board (NMB) mediate the group’s negotiations with the National [...]

Statement from GP Sellers on Meeting With President Trump

Earlier this week, I was joined by SMART Government Affairs Director Steve Dodd and General Vice President Gary Masino in a meeting with President Trump and Building Trades leaders at his first work day in the Oval Office.  Throughout, we were regarded with respect and courte [...]

Class I’s release 4th quarter & 2016 annual earnings

4th Quarter 2016 Net Earnings: $458 million or $0.49 per share, up from $466 million or $0.48 per share in 2015’s 4th quarter Revenue: Increased by 9 percent to $3,037 billion Operating Income: Increased to $1 billion over last year’s $791 million Operating Ratio: [...]

SMART Leaders Meet With President Trump At White House

General President Sellers led a group of SMART leaders joining Sean McGarvey, president of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, Terry O’Sullivan, president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) and others in a day one meeting w [...]

PTSD: Occupational hazard for railroaders

Chuck Akers, lifelong train engineer, was forced to retire early after three physicians concurred that his numerous experiences with collisions that were caused by vehicles and people blocking the tracks (he was cleared of any wrongdoing in all incidents), had culminated into [...]