Transportation News

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

FRA issues new report on fatigue

The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new report on the status of fatigue among railroad industry employees. In 2001, the FRA began examining the fatigue status of safety-critical railroad employees by using logbooks to collect work and sleep data over a period of [...]

With elections past, our work begins

By James Stem, National Legislative Director –  As a new Congress begins its largely partisan struggles, which are sometimes difficult to understand and frequently disturbing, the job of the National Legislative Office is to convince lawmakers that the legislative agenda of S [...]

Diet, weight control, exercise are keys to healthy living

By Dr. Norman K. BrownUTU Medical Consultant We have known for a long time that inadequate oxygen from poor heart or lung function, or poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide carried from breathing into our lungs, can injure our brains. Recent studies of women exposed to seco [...]

First Student employees bring Christmas to kids

“First Student bus drivers and mechanics from Local 1908 are so much more than just people who get your children to and from school,” said Local Secretary Joann Ehrhardt. If you need proof, just ask some of those children. After a Buffalo, N.Y., School District family of six [...]

Szabo: Rail investment spurs manufacturers

The following message was sent to the UTU National Legislative Office from Federal Railroad Administrator Joe Szabo: In his State of the Union Address last week, President Obama spoke about the importance of investing in our infrastructure as a path to create new jobs and lay [...]

Avantair pilots land at SMART Transportation

In their final approach for union representation, the pilots of Avantair, Inc., successfully touched down on the SMART Transportation Division runway. The Feb. 14 vote brought 224 Avantair pilots under the SMART umbrella. Among the pilots who participated in the representatio [...]

Around the UTU, February 2013

Local 240, Los Angeles, Calif. Local Chairperson Harry J. Garvin Jr. reports that the local’s 2013 monthly meetings will be held at Ozzie’s Diner at 7780 E. Slauson Ave. in Los Angeles off 5 FWY between 710 FWY and 605 FWY. The diner’s telephone number is (323) 726-0300. Meet [...]

Acting for impaired Railroad Retirement beneficiaries

According to Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) policy, every annuitant has the right to manage his or her own benefits. However, when physical or mental impairments make a railroad retirement annuitant incapable of properly handling benefit payments, or where the RRB determines [...]

UTU supports town’s noise reduction effort

CSX is fighting efforts by the UTU and neighboring residents to use flagmen in a busy rail yard to increase safety and reduce noise. Residents living near the yard in Worcester, Mass., recently complained to city and railroad officials about the constant use of locomotive hor [...]

We pledge allegiance, in solidarity

By SMART General President Joe Nigro –  We are one! Not only as a result of our recent merger, but also by the pledge we make to one another as union brothers and sisters. The strength of organized labor lies in the hearts and minds of every union member who understands the m [...]