Transportation News

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

Timebook suggestions sought

Members have been able to spend half a year now with the 2021 SMART-TD bus and rail timebooks that were revised last year with membersʼ input. Weʼre sure there are things you like about the revisions and things that you would want to have changed about the timebooks so they a [...]

FTA launches Enhanced Transit Safety and Crime Prevention Initiative

Transit worker and rider safety is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Public transit is a safe form of transportation. Transit workers should expect a safe workplace and riders should expect a safe trip. To help ensur [...]

SMART-TD arbitrates crew-consist dispute

On June 15 and 16, 2021, the simmering dispute between the SMART Transportation Division and carriers over crew consist finally reached arbitration before neutral party John LaRocca in Sacramento, Calif. Class I railroads BNSF, UP, NS and KCS initiated a claim in October 2019 [...]

Local 807 member killed in transport accident

Brother Karl Middlemas, 62, of Local 807 (Tucson, Ariz.) – a member of our union for more than 13 years – died when the crew van he was being transported in collided with a tractor-trailer late on July 6. Brother Middlemas hired on in 2007 and most recently served [...]

Two nominated to National Mediation Board

President Joe Biden last week announced two nominees — Gerald Fauth III and Linda Puchala — to return to the National Mediation Board (NMB). Gerald W. Fauth III, the current NMB chairman, was nominated for another three-year term. He has served on the board since November 201 [...]

GCA-953 organizing educational sessions

The leadership of GCA-953 (Union Pacific) have kicked off a slate of educational sessions for local officers and members. The first of six sessions took place June 22 and 23 in Topeka, Kan., with General Chairperson Luke Edington, Associate GC Ian Reynolds and Sr. Vice GC Zac [...]

TD leaders praise House passage of INVEST Act

CLEVELAND, Ohio (July 1, 2021) — SMART Transportation Division leaders expressed their appreciation as the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation (INVEST) in America Act (H.R. 3684) successfully passed out of the U.S. House of Representatives [...]

Fundraiser established for injured Local 1545 member

An online fundraiser has been established for Eddie Dotson, a member of SMART-TD Local 1545 (Monroe, La.), who was injured June 23, 2021, while on duty in Tioga, La. Brother Dotson, 52, a trustee for his local and a member of our union for 17 years, lost limbs in the accident [...]

Biden-Harris administration offers two paths to the Rule of 2

The paths to the Rule of 2 are open. Path 1: The INVEST ACT (H.R. 3684, the House Infrastructure Bill) and Path 2: a regulatory priority of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to revisit freight crew size. U.S House Transportat [...]

RRB: Unemployment and sickness benefits for railroad employees

The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) administers the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA), which provides two kinds of benefits for qualified railroaders: unemployment benefits for those who become unemployed but are ready, willing and able to work; and sickness benefits [...]