Transportation News - SMART Union

Firefighters look on as flames burst from the derailed train in Raymond, Minnesota.

SMART-TD Alt. National Legislative Director Cassity highlights push for rail safety laws

April 6, 2023 Media outlets and elected officials continue to spotlight rail safety in the wake of derailments in East Palestine, Ohio, Raymond, Minn. and states across the country. That makes it even more crucial for SMART members, families and allies to get involved in the fight for rail [...]

Washington members: Rail sick leave bill needs support!

April 5, 2023 Quality of life has been front of mind for railroad employees and SMART Transportation Division for years. It was the heart of the most contentious fights in last year’s national rail negotiations and continues to be the ultimate goal for everything your union is working to a [...]

Illinois State Legislative Director helps announce major rail project

March 31, 2023 DECATUR, Ill — SMART Transportation Division Illinois State Legislative Director Bob Guy was on hand March 30 as state Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced a $200 million investment in about two dozen state projects to improve the flow of freight on rail and road. Among the 22 projec [...]

‘Best practices’ to be discussed at officers’ TD coalition meeting in May

March 29, 2023

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SMART General President Joseph Sellers, Jr. to retire in May 2023

March 28, 2023 Joseph Sellers, Jr., general president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), announced his retirement on January 24, 2023. Sellers will retire on May 31, 2023, and will be succeeded by current Assistant to the General President Michael Coleman.

From the Ballast: ‘Getting railroaded’

March 28, 2023 “From the Ballast” is an open column for SMART Transportation Division rail members to state their perspective on issues related to the railroad industry. Members of the union are encouraged to submit content by emailing to news_TD@smart-union.org. Columns are published at th [...]

Union Pacific reaches labor agreement with largest union

March 25, 2023 Agreement with SMART-TD provides greater flexibility for railroad, improves service for customers and enhances quality of life for employees OMAHA, Neb., (March 25, 2023) — Union Pacific has reached a tentative crew consist agreement with General Committee 953 [...]

TCU & Shop-Craft Coalition reaches tentative agreement with Amtrak

March 24, 2023 On Thursday, March 23 – after 15 months of negotiations – the TCU & Shop-Craft Coalition reached a tentative agreement with Amtrak to settle each organization’s respective Section 6 notices for this round of bargaining. The coalition is comprised of the SMART Mechanical D [...]

Norfolk Southern and SMART-TD statement on conductor redeployment bargaining

March 23, 2023 Atlanta, GA, and Independence, OH, (March 23, 2023) — Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers — Transportation Division (SMART-TD) announced Thursday that they are discontinuing formal nego [...]

From left, National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy; David Comstock, chief of the Ohio Western Reserve Joint Fire District; SMART-TD Ohio State Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker; Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and Association of American Railroads CEO Ian Jefferies appear March 22 before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee in a hearing regarding rail safety.

Ohio SLD Whitaker, senators state case for Railway Safety Act before commerce committee

March 22, 2023 In the aftermath of February’s rail disaster in Ohio, the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee held a key hearing March 22 on “Improving Rail Safety in Response to the East Palestine Derailment” to get to the bottom of what went wrong in the accident and to discuss the bipart [...]