Transportation News

Visit the digital archive of the SMART-TD News (PDFs)

Pa. group releases ad seeking action on rail safety legislation

The Rebuilding American Values action group in collaboration with the SMART Transportation Division Pennsylvania State Legislative Board has put its resources forth to support rail safety legislation being considered in the Pa. Senate. The result is a radio ad being broadcast [...]

Strike vote to commence on White Pass & Yukon RR

SMART Transportation Division-represented members from Local 1626 (Anchorage, Alaska) on the White Pass and Yukon Route will begin electronic voting tonight on whether to authorize a strike against the carrier. Negotiations with the tourist railroad have been open since the e [...]

STB decision orders BNSF to haul Powder River coal

By a 3-2 majority June 23, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) ruled in favor of Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC), ordering BNSF to fulfill its common-carrier obligation to serve the Powder River Basin energy producer and transport 4.2 million tons of coal. NTEC filed [...]

From the ballast: On-the-job incidents can bring about PTSD

If you find yourself in a crisis situation, the SMART Members Assistance Program (MAP) is available to help. Please call 877-884-6227 for free and confidential assistance. Your employer also may have an in-house employee assistance program (EAP) available. Tuesday, June 27, 2 [...]

Open enrollment has begun for SMART-TD bus, rail VLTD plans

The SMART Transportation Division is excited to announce the first open enrollment period has begun for SMART-TD’s Voluntary Long-Term Disability (VLTD) and Voluntary Group Life (VLIFE) plans for bus and railroad members. For railroad members, the plans are designed to [...]

AFL-CIO TTD unions reaffirm rail labor’s support for STB chair

On June 13, Greg Regan, president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), of which the SMART Transportation Division is a member, sent a letter to President Joe Biden regarding recent attacks on Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman. The text of [...]

It’s a step ahead for Pa. rail safety bill

H.B. 1028 addresses minimum crew size, blocked crossings and train lengths Earlier this week on June 5, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a comprehensive railroad safety bill, H.B. 1028, by a 141-62 tally. The bill will now move on to the state Senate, where th [...]

TD leadership participates in NS Bellevue safety event

Norfolk Southern hosted a system-wide safety town hall meeting June 1 in the middle of the largest yard in their system in Bellevue, Ohio. Carrier CEO Alan Shaw was joined on stage by the presidents from six of the 12 rail labor unions, including SMART Transportation Division [...]