2025 Labor Day Message from SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson

Brothers and sisters,

Another Labor Day is upon us, which means that many Americans and their families are navigating the first days of a new school year or preparing to say an unofficial goodbye to summer.

First I’d like to recognize and thank all of our members who will be earning holiday pay as they work throughout the weekend. Thank you for keeping America moving and for all that you do every day.

This year, the day takes on an even greater significance for those of us who count ourselves as members of the labor movement as we face what sometimes feels like an unending stream of attacks.

This is something that both our rail and transit brothers and sisters at SMART-TD have confronted head-on.

Your strength, determination, and tenacity are a testament to our predecessors who set the stage for the modern labor movement that we know today.

History-altering milestones, such as the enactment of child labor laws, setting safety standards and regulations, and establishing fair wages were all made possible because our brothers and sisters who came before us fought for a better future.

They refused to sit on the sidelines and accept the status quo. They spoke out and pushed back against the corporate elites who attempted to use their wealth as a tool for control, a battle we continue fighting today.

The bottom line: they fought. For themselves. For their families. For their fellow workers.

In our union, we fight for all the members all the time. They all count or none of them count.

We’ve seen this idea put into practice throughout the year in the form of organizing wins and contract ratifications, leaders standing up for their members and our brothers and sisters looking out for one another.

While we celebrate all that we’ve achieved, we also know that the work is never done.

This Labor Day, I ask all of you to pause and pledge to recommit to the fight ahead, because it will take all of us to counter the players who seek to diminish our influence.

All of you, the membership, are the reason why our union is a force to be reckoned with. You put action behind your words and show that “solidarity” is more than just an idea: it’s a verb that you embody every day.

Stand up for each other, look out for one another, and keep fighting for one another.

Please stay safe this holiday weekend and thanks to all of you for making SMART-TD the gold standard for rail, bus and transit workers across the country.


In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, SMART Transportation Division