Transportation News

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MBTA pushes subway car contract with Chinese firm

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will recommend to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s board that CNR MA Corp. manufacture 284 new subway cars for the agency’s Red and Orange lines, Gov. Deval Patrick announced yesterday. The boar [...]

Social Security benefits to go up by 1.7 percent

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 64 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2015, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more t [...]

Work Rules, Discipline Policy Keys to LACMTA Deal

SMART Transportation Division members represented by General Committee of Adjustment GO 875 have approved a new agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority that attains all of the goals sought by the committee’s negotiating team. The general co [...]

GLA Pilots Land Deal After Years in Holding Pattern

After nearly three years of mediation with Great Lakes Airlines in conjunction with the National Mediation Board, SMART Transportation Division-represented airline pilots employed by the company have finally reached an agreement with the carrier. Following several requests by [...]

FRA gives findings from Metra safety assessment

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today announced the findings and recommendations from its focused safety assessment of Chicago’s Metra. The assessment finds Metra to be generally compliant with federal safety regulati [...]

Mother of former UTU Auxiliary President Menges dies

Laurine G. Wildhaber, 82, the mother of former Auxiliary of the United Transportation Union International President Carol Menges, died Oct. 14, at the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics. Carol is the spouse of SMART Transportation Division Missouri State Legislative [...]

GLA pilots land deal after years in holding pattern

After nearly three years of mediation with Great Lakes Airlines in conjunction with the National Mediation Board, SMART Transportation Division-represented airline pilots employed by the company have finally reached an agreement with the carrier. Following several requests by [...]

Police: Man stabbing people on bus fatally shot

NORWALK, Conn. – A man who stabbed passengers on a casino-bound tour bus on Interstate 95 in Connecticut was fatally shot by state police, officials said Wednesday. The unidentified man began attacking passengers around 10 p.m., state police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance said. The [...]

L.A. bus passenger tells driver: 'I have ebola'

LOS ANGELES – Sheriff’s deputies were searching for a man Monday (Oct. 13) who made threats while traveling on a Metro bus through Lincoln Heights. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a man and a woman boarded the bus from Line 33 around 1:45 p.m. at Ven [...]

Barrows named for second term as RRB labor member

President Barack Obama announced Oct. 8 his intent to nominate Walter A. Barrows to a second term as the labor member to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. His nomination must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Obama first nominated Barrows as the board’s labor member in 2011. [...]