Transportation News
SMART-TD update on state legislative affairs
Last week, your union put out a story discussing the 49 pieces of legislation that SMART was pushing in 17 states. As state legislatures are all hitting their stride in this year’s cycle around the country and focus on rail safety is as high as it has been in decades, these numbers are growing by […]
New Mexico 2PC bill passes state House, heads to Senate
When the state of New Mexico comes to mind, we often think of the Carlsbad Caverns, uniquely rugged landscapes and exotic wildlife. Soon it may also conjure up thoughts of solid railroad safety and landmark two-person crew laws. On Feb. 20, New Mexico’s state house chamber, known as the “Round House,” was full of debate […]
SMART-TD strongly supports bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023
For immediate release March 1, 2023 Phone: (216) 228-9400 Department email: news_td@smart-union.org “This legislation goes a long way toward protecting American families and communities while fortifying the rail industry to be sustainable and safe long into the future. The voices of SMART-TD’s brothers and sisters have been heard by these senators and are echoing through the halls of the United […]
Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) group issues info sheet
The Switching Operations Fatality Analysis (SOFA) Working Group issued a one-page information sheet last week regarding shove movements, reminding workers to take care during shove moves — “When in doubt, dismount!” According to the flyer, 27 of 34 fatalities analyzed by the SOFA group in the decade from 2011-2021 occurred during shove moves. The SOFA […]
Washington’s H.B. 1839 vying to become the first state law limiting train length since 1940s
The state of Washington and its State Legislative Director (SLD) Herb Krohn have had legislative victories in the past. Washington is one of the states that has succeeded in passing a two-person crew regulation into law, with their state crewing law being the most stringent in the nation. Now Washington state Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos […]
Nebraska: 2PC and blocked-crossing bills on schedule for March 6 committee hearings
The Legislature in Nebraska’s capital of Lincoln is not known to be a hotbed of activity for rail labor lobbying success stories, but SMART Transportation Division’s newest State Legislative Director (SLD) Andy Foust is actively making moves to change that. In his first week on the job, Brother Foust introduced two strong pieces of legislation […]
SMART-TD update on state legislative efforts
SMART-TD, behind the leadership of National Legislative Director Greg Hynes and Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity, have unprecedented positive momentum in the halls of state legislatures across the country. Our legislative directors currently have bills in front of 17 state legislatures and many are showing signs of being successful. SMART-TD is very proud of […]
SMART-TD statement on DOT Secretary Buttigieg’s letter regarding rail industry safety and accountability
SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson issued the following statement on Feb. 21: “The greatest threat to the American railroad industry and the communities with which it intersects is Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR). The changes PSR has brought since its inception in 2017 have only served to make executives and Wall Street shareholders richer, while […]