Transportation News

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Members out in force in Kansas City

General President Joseph Sellers Jr. and TD President Jeremy Ferguson both participated in a town hall meeting and informational rally in Kansas City on Nov. 4 and 5 to draw attention to Union Pacific’s closure of the Neff Yard that resulted in about 200 lost jobs. The [...]

Class I’s release 2019 3rd quarter earnings reports

Net Earnings: $1.466 billion, a slight increase from the $1.4 billion in 2018’s third quarter Revenue: $6.021 billion, a decrease of 2% from the same period in 2018 Operating Income: $1.9 billion, an increase of 3.3% from the same period in 2018 Operating Expenses: $3.8 [...]

TD President Ferguson announces receipt of carriers’ Section 6 notice

To SMART TD members whose carriers are in national handling: Pursuant to the moratorium provision in the last national agreement, today was the first day the carriers were permitted to serve notice to open the next round of National Bargaining and negotiate a new agreement, a [...]

Rail union chiefs announce formation of Coordinated Bargaining Coalition

CLEVELAND, Ohio and WASHINGTON, D.C., (November 1, 2019) — Top leaders of 10 rail unions announced today that their organizations will be participating in coordinated bargaining in the round of national negotiations that began on Nov. 1, 2019. The unions comprising the Coordi [...]

STB grants exemption for G&W acquisition

Disregarding comments by the SMART TD New York Legislative Board to the contrary, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) has granted an exemption to Brookfield Asset Management and DJP XX LLC that clears the way for their acquisition of short-line/regional railroad operator G [...]

RRB announces cost-of-living increase for retirees in 2020

Most Railroad Retirement annuities, like Social Security benefits, will increase in January 2020 due to a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2018 to the corresponding period of the current year. Cost-of-living increases are calculated in both the [...]

RRB: Earnings limit for rail retirees is scheduled to increase in 2020

Railroad Retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2020 without having their benefits reduced as a result of increases in earnings limits indexed to average national wage increases. Like Social Security benefits, some Railroad Retirement benefit [...]

Federal lawsuit may cost NS millions

A jury found Norfolk Southern liable last month for a 2010 breach in contract with Drummond Coal Co., meaning that the carrier could end up paying back the Alabama-based coal company millions in penalties. The contract between the coal supplier and NS required that Drummond&# [...]