Ordinary people will act to protect their communities if given the chance, as shown by the massive call for new train length laws in Kansas. Their voices are going to be heard thanks to SMART-TD and the railroad union’s presence at the Kansas State Fair.
The Canadian National Railroad (CN) sent their crews rolling through communities without access to essential safety documents after a failed software upgrade. SMART-TD Alternate SLD Eric Stanger told SMART News that “The idea that there is not an adequate contingency plan in place for this is mind-blowing.” If you work for CN, fill out the safety condition report for every incident. The form is available on the SMART App and SMART-TD website.
SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson congratulates the American Train Dispatchers Association on their most recent accomplishment by organizing Genesee and Wyoming workers.
Joshua Bates, a member of Local 496 in Ohio, died while on the job of a heart attack. A fundraiser has been established by his union family for his wife and three children.
“This new law represents a new day in Arizona. If you put your hands on a SMART-TD member or any transit professional, you’re going to have to face real consequences.”
—SMART-TD Transit Union’s Arizona Safety and Legislative Director Scott Jones
For many Americans, Labor Day signifies the end of another summer, the start of school or just another welcomed day off from work. For those of us involved in organized labor, it means so much more.
BNSF’s managers had a consistently high opinion of how safe the workplace is that they oversee. The more closely an employee works with an actual train, however, the lower their estimation of how safely the organization runs. The FRA report provides a reality check.
FRA nixed an attempt by two Class I carriers and three passenger carriers to be able to shut down critical safety tech for as long as three days. The SMART-TD railroad union’s public comment was a big reason why.
General chairpersons who handle SMART-TD’s Amtrak properties announce that they’ve negotiated improvements in the latest tentative agreement, including substantial wage increases and back pay. The contract will be placed before members for consideration in the very near future.
