Transportation News

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

Your experiences – our PEB case!

Attention freight rail members in national handling: To further strengthen our PEB presentation, we are soliciting additional evidence regarding the restrictive and punitive measures carriers have used to punish employees who are attempting to look after their own health, and [...]

DIPP assessments to be reduced in October

SMART Transportation Division and the Trustees of the Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) are pleased to announce a reduction in monthly assessments. Effective Oct. 1, 2022, the monthly assessment for DIPP participants will be reduced from 81 cents to 75 cents per $1 [...]

Rail labor statement regarding the appointment of a PEB

WASHINGTON – Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO, of which the SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) and SMART Mechanical Divisions (SMART-MD) are members, released the following statement in response to President Joe Bid [...]

SMART Transportation Division obtains authorization to strike

An open letter from the office of SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson Dear Brothers and Sisters, Earlier today, I advised our Rail General Chairpersons involved in national bargaining that the cooling-off period after our release by the NMB will be ending Monday, July 18, at 1 [...]

The TRUTH about the railroad supply chain and labor negotiations

SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) would like to take a few moments to update the thousands of essential rail workers whom we proudly represent, the rail shippers and customers, as well as the public at large on the real status of labor negotiations and about the seriou [...]

Local 1420 mourns death of Local Chairperson Kevin Spragg

Robert Kevin Spragg, 59, passed away Monday, June 20, 2022. An active member of Local 1420 (Memphis, Tenn.) since August 1998, Spragg served as the local chairperson for LCA-001A (BNSF) since 2012 and as a delegate at the 2014 and 2019 conventions. He was a dedicated union ma [...]

Watch the Skies — It’s National Lightning Safety Week!

Each year, about 20 million bolts of lightning strike the earth’s surface, and each can carry upwards of 300 million volts and 30,000 amps. While being struck by lightning is a rare event, over the past 10 years around 250 Americans have died this way, and thousands have been [...]