Transportation News

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

RRB: Retirement seminar now available to view online

The Office of the Labor Member is pleased to announce that our Pre-Retirement Seminar presentation is now available to view online. We designed this program to help educate those nearing retirement about the benefits available to them, and what they can expect during the appl [...]

SMART out at Biden rally in Pennsylvania

SMART representatives had a front-row seat as Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden spoke Oct. 24 at Bristol Community College in Bristol, Pa. SMART-TD New Jersey State Legislative Director Ron Sabol and Gregg Weaver, a retired TD Local 838 member [...]

PSR, Amtrak funding discussed before U.S. Senate committee

Amtrak’s financial situation and the freight rail industry’s continued use of Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) practices were the focus of a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing Oct. 21. Amtrak President and CEO William Flynn repeated his plea for almost $5 [...]

Showing their pride as election approaches

SMART members are sending in their photos showing their support for Joe Biden, the presidential candidate who has been endorsed by your union. To submit your photos in support of candidates endorsed by SMART, email news_TD@smart-union.org. To get involved, text SMART Army to [...]

Retirement benefits will see COLA increase in 2021

Most railroad retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will increase in January 2021 due to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2019 to the corresponding period of the current year. Cost-of-living increases are calculated in both the [...]

President Ferguson: This election is pivotal

The following article appeared in the August/September 2020 edition of the SMART Transportation Division News and is referred to by President Ferguson in the video above. Dear Brothers and Sisters, With the 2020 general election right around the corner, we are dedicating a la [...]

DIPP Assessments reduced effective January 2021

The SMART Transportation Division Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) is decreasing its monthly assessments from 96 cents to 81 cents per $1 of daily benefits, effective January 1, 2021. Participants in the Plan may elect to increase their benefit level or modify thei [...]

Two members lost in accidents

Our union is in mourning after losing two of its active members this week: one in a work-related fatality and one in a traffic accident. Ryan Sandy, 37, a member of Local 662 (Richmond, Va.) and a former local chairperson of LCA-201C, was killed in an on-the-job accident at 2 [...]