Transportation News

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

Eye exams can detect vision-robbing glaucoma

For transportation workers, our eyes are among the most important tools of our trade. Lose your eyesight and you lose your livelihood. That’s why every transportation worker should be aware that an eye disease called glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, affectin [...]

FRA proposes new minimum training standards

WASHINGTON – New minimum training and qualification standards are being proposed by the Federal Railroad Administration for rail workers in safety sensitive positions. In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published Feb. 7 in the Federal Register, the FRA said affected employees [...]

NMB vote-change rule survives in new FAA bill

WASHINGTON – The House and Senate agreed Feb. 6 on legislation authorizing increased future funding for new air traffic control technology and the Essential Air Service subsidy program to rural airports as part of a reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration. Lawm [...]

Federal funding announced for transit modernizing

WASHINGTON – More than $826 million will become available to transit systems in the U.S. this year for modernizing and repairing vehicles, the Department of Transportation announced Feb. 6. “An American economy that’s built to last must be built on a solid foundation, and whe [...]

Working together to make SMART a reality

The following is a joint letter from UTU International President Mike Futhey and Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association General President Joe Nigro on the merger of the two organizations to become the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Workers (SMART). [...]

UTU member killed in Ind. rail accident

GARY, Ind. – Michael M. Shoemaker, 55, a conductor and member of UTU Local 1383, was killed Jan. 30 in a switching accident on at U.S. Steel’s Gary Works here. Reports are that he was wedged between two freight cars. Shoemaker, of Hobart, Ind., was an 10-year employee, of Gar [...]

UTU General Counsel Clint Miller to retire

UTU General Counsel Clint Miller will retire Nov. 1 at age 65. Until then, he will relinquish his daily office duties and serve as a consultant, on an as-needed basis, to International President Mike Futhey and the law department staff. Miller has been a fixture in the UTU la [...]

House committee kills killer truck effort

WASHINGTON – UTU members can make a difference in Congress, and your emails and phone calls — as requested by the UTU International — helped derail an attempt by House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) to permit longer and h [...]

View ‘UTU: Stronger Than Ever’ video

A short video explaining the benefits of UTU membership, which was presented at the 2011 UTU regional meetings and the 2011 quadrennial convention, is now available online at www.utu.org. The video notes the history of labor unions in the United States, which originated in th [...]

Repeal referendum likely in Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS – Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed into law right-to-work (for less) legislation in Indiana that prohibits union-shop agreements and prohibits union contracts that require those who decline to join a union from paying any fees for representation – essentially encour [...]