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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has concluded its investigation into the June 2023 death of a CSX conductor trainee in Baltimore, Maryland, highlighting dangerous gaps in the railroad industry’s approach to safety and training. The agency’s findings align closely with long-standing concerns raised by SMART-TD about the failures of Class I railroads to provide adequate and effective training for newly hired employees. This union is accelerating steps to take matters into our own hands.

An Avoidable Tragedy Born of Inadequate Training

According to the NTSB’s final report, the trainee was killed after losing his footing while riding on a railcar during a shoving movement at the Seagirt Marine Terminal. The unsafe riding position, lack of secure footing, and absence of proper training on intermodal railcar configurations were all cited as contributing factors. CSX had failed to adequately train or evaluate the trainee’s ability to safely perform his duties.

Not only is this unsettling and unacceptable, but it also exposes a pattern of lapses throughout the rail industry.

Moreover, investigators found glaring deficiencies in CSX’s safety rules and training programs. These findings reflect a systemic problem across Class I railroads: peer conductors who serve as mentors or trainers are given no structured instruction on how to effectively teach, supervise, or assess new hires. They are not trained to recognize signs of fatigue, confusion, or uncertainty among their trainees. These issues have life-or-death consequences in such hazardous working environments.

Whether it’s at the local, state, or federal level, our union fights like hell to ensure that safety is always a priority from Day 1, starting with training.

SMART-TD Acts Where Railroads Have Failed

Recognizing these dangerous gaps, SMART-TD has proactively secured federal funding through the FRA’s CRISI grant program. These resources are being spent on the kinds of training programs Class I carriers neglect to provide. When complete, our goal is for all peer trainers to receive standardized instruction on mentoring, safety assessment, fatigue recognition, and clear communication. These are areas where the railroads have consistently fallen short.

Confidential Close Call Reporting: A Missing Safety Net

Another avenue for systemic improvement is through wider adoption of the Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS). CSX and many other Class I carriers have refused to fully participate in this voluntary program. C3RS provides a safe, confidential way for railroaders to report close calls and safety hazards without fear of discipline. Expanding this program would give the industry vital insights into the recurring issues that continue to plague new hire training and all other aspects of our safety on the job.

A Call for Meaningful Partnership with Labor

Brother Jared Cassity, SMART-TD’s National Safety & Legislative Director, participated in this investigation and countless others like it.

“I’ve been a party to many rail investigations involving injuries and fatalities. But the two CSX trainee deaths in Maryland last year haunt me more than any others. These were preventable,” Cassity reflected. “Railroads need to acknowledge the shortcomings in their training programs. Our members’ blood is being shed unnecessarily because of these avoidable failures. We need better training, clearer yard markings for close clearance hazards, and a renewed partnership between carriers, the FRA, and labor unions like SMART-TD to finally prioritize safety in new hire training programs. We stand ready and eager to lead this work.”

Our lives depend on one thing above all else: safe tracks. That’s why SMART-TD is pushing back against a new waiver request from the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the Class I Railroads it represents.

The AAR wants permission from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to reduce human visual track inspections by 75%, claiming it will replace the human inspectors with Automated Track Inspection (ATI) systems. But here’s the truth: ATI misses 73% of defect types that human inspectors catch.

That’s not safety, it’s a shortcut. When shortcuts fail on the railroad, people die.

We filed a full public comment with the FRA to stop this waiver. You can read it below, but here’s what you need to know.

The AAR Wants to Cut Inspections in Half — Then Do It Again

Current rules require that tracks get two human inspections per week. Under the AAR’s waiver request, that would drop to two per month.

As a result, potentially broken tracks would remain in service for days on end, with nothing more than a computer readout and a 72-hour wait-and-see policy if a defect is found.

Ask yourself this. Would you want your train to be the 12th or 200th one to run over a piece of track flagged by a machine for a defect but not fixed for three days?

Technology Should Help, Not Replace, Human Judgement

SMART-TD fully supports innovations that make the railroad safer.

During a June Congressional hearing, Brotherhood of Maintenace of Way Employees (BMWE) President Tony Cardwell spelled it out clearly: ATI can only identify track defects related to track geometry and misses 73% of the derailment-causing defect types that trained track inspectors regularly identify. Letting this waiver through would mean blind spots—big ones—on nearly every mile of track.

This means they can’t detect loose bolts, worn ties, damaged switches, track obstructions and more.

President Cardwell also cited the Bible in his testimony, quoting Ezekiel 33:6.

“But if the watchman sees the enemy coming and does not sound the alarm to warn the people, he is responsible for their death.”

At SMART-TD we have been sounding the alarm for years. We see what’s coming, and we’re calling on the FRA to heed our warning.

This Waiver Isn’t About Safety, It’s About Profit (As Always)

Don’t be fooled by the AAR’s language. They’re not asking to use ATI. They already can, and as often as they like. There is no regulation that prevents it.

What they’re really asking for is permission to get rid of track inspectors’ paychecks, which are an investment in employees who know the tracks the best.

We won’t stand by while that happens.

This will increase the risk, and our members will be the first to experience the consequences. The men and women of SMART-TD are not data points in a risk manager’s spreadsheet. The communities we run through are not acceptable collateral damage. The risk of one preventable derailment (let alone dozens) is too high to justify a little extra in a stockholder’s dividend check.

We’re Standing Up for Our Members and the Public

SMART-TD stands with our BMWE brothers and sisters, and we won’t back down. Your safety is not negotiable.

The FRA must reject this waiver, keep inspections by certified track inspectors intact, and refuse to gamble on rail safety.

We’re proud to fight for the lives, dignity, and future of our members.

Read our full comment below and stand with us.

SMART TD Docket No. FRA-2025-0059 Download

By a strong majority, the members of SMART-TD Local 1785 (Santa Monica, California) have ratified a new, five-year contract with Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines.

Members Wanted to be Paid Their Worth

One of the most notable highlights is a significant cost-of-living adjustment over the lifetime of the agreement, which includes a wage opener in January of 2029 to go back to the bargaining table and possibly secure an additional increase.

Leadership for the General Committee of Adjustment for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines (GCA SMB) points out that earning salaries that reflect their worth was top-of-mind for members and this agreement delivers on that priority.

“I think that’s [the COLA and wage opener] going to benefit the operators financially in a significant way when we talk about transit,” explained GCA SMB General Chairperson Markeisha Haynes. “So, to possibly get us into making a substantial amount of money by 2029 is amazing.”

Some of the other gains made in the agreement include…

Sick Leave: New hires receive six days of six leave instead of waiting six months for sick leave accruals.
Performance Evaluations: These have been removed from the contract and substituted with guaranteed step increases.
Attendance Policy: Allows for a temporary step reduction in pay in lieu of a suspension.
Holidays: Addition of one floating holiday

Teamwork Gets Things Done

GCA SMB Vice Chairperson Christine Ivey praised James Sandoval, Vice President of the SMART-TD Bus Department, for his input during the negotiations.

“We had a great team. James did a fantastic job,” said Vice Chairperson Ivey. “I couldn’t have been prouder of him. He understood the assignment. He went in and he did his best, and I commend him for all the effort that he put into it.”

With yet another ratified agreement for SMART-TD’s Bus Department, VP Sandoval says this is proof that the momentum that’s been building in 2025 isn’t about to slow down any time soon.

“During the first half of the year, SMART-TD’s Bus Department ratified several strong tentative agreements that showed that our brothers and sisters aren’t willing to settle for the bare minimum,” said VP Sandoval. “These contracts reflect our members’ worth and the professionalism, knowledge, and skill that they bring to the job. I’m very proud of Sister Haynes, the entire bargaining team, and the members of Local 1785 for their tenacity in fighting for what they deserve and becoming the latest addition to our growing list of wins for our bus operators!”

General Chairperson Haynes says this contract is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the enthusiasm building at Local 1785.

“We’re doing great things at our property, not only contract-wise but just overall as far as growth, as far as elected new officers,” explained General Chairperson Haynes. “This is the first time that our local has ever had a female cabinet. More people are starting to get involved because they’re starting to see that 1785 is moving in a great direction, so as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, getting the participation of membership, I’m really, really happy with where this is going.”

It’s no secret that the railroad industry has never been thought of as “safe” or concerned with the well-being of its workers.

History speaks for itself.

One out of every 35 railroaders were injured each year in the late 1800s. There were few laws, little regulation and the railroads couldn’t be bothered to care for the family of an injured or disabled railroader. Deaths were all too common. Widows and orphans were left to fend for themselves.

As they spread across the country, the railroads were considered a grand investment, but the dangers of the work made the railroaders themselves uninsurable and financially untouchable.

As late as 1892, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge observed that railroaders “suffer as if they were fighting in a war.” In those early days of our industry — 1830 through 1900 — improvements to workers’ safety and security were carved out by the railroaders themselves.

The following images are from a booklet produced by American Journey Financial Life announcing its new name and logo.

Every rule in the book was written in our blood. Every institution that makes our lives bearable today was formed when old-heads stood together to make it happen. They formed the fraternal benefit societies from which our own union was born.

Labor unions and fraternal benefit societies serve different purposes. Unions wield collective power to force justice from unwilling management. Fraternal benefit societies focus on pooling financial resources to form a safety net. Sometimes a single organization will combine both functions; other times it is more effective to form separate organizations with the same or similar membership. The two are fundamentally intertwined, even though they may merge, split, or rename themselves over time.

In 1969 the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (est. 1873), the Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen (est. 1868), the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen (est. 1883) and the Switchmen’s Union of North America (est. 1894) merged to form the United Transportation Union (UTU). These organizations also pooled their financial operations into a new agency: the United Transportation Union Insurance Association (UTUIA).

With size comes strength and resiliency. In 2014, the UTU merged with the SMWIA to form the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Union (SMART), with the Transportation Division of the new union growing to embrace an increasing number of bus and transit workers. The UTUIA has kept pace, welcoming bus, transit, and SMART’s sheet metal and other building trades to the organization.

This year, the UTUIA honors its expanded membership with the unveiling of a new name: American Journey Financial Life (AJFL).

The change was introduced to UTUIA’s members in a letter from AJFL President Kenneth Laugel, who explained that “Over the years, we have made substantial gains in improving the infrastructure of the organization, modernizing our technology and enhancing our member benefits. Now, it is my pleasure to inform you of [this] exciting change to our organization. As we approach sixteen decades of existence, we welcome all those who labor tirelessly in the hazardous trades to join with AJFL in solidarity, as we seek to protect and enhance the lives and financial security of our members and their families.” The new name will begin appearing in all correspondence with the agency. You may learn more about American Journey Financial Life at ajlife.org

Rail Industry Testifies on Safety and Regulation at Senate Hearing

In June, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a high-profile hearing titled “On the Right Track: Modernizing America’s Rail Network.”

Representing freight rail interests were both the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA). While the ASLRRA didn’t appear in person, a representative from a holding company owning seven short lines testified on their behalf.

Unsurprisingly, the message from both Class I and short line freight rail interests stuck to a familiar script: “We’re vital to the economy and we’re thriving—but please stop regulating us.”

This well-rehearsed narrative once again called for fewer safety rules and less government oversight, even as these companies continue to post strong profits. The contradiction between portraying themselves as economic juggernauts and claiming to be victims of federal oversight was on full display.

Freshman Senator Moreno: A Troubling Moment for Public Transportation

However, the most headline-grabbing moment didn’t come from railroad execs. It came from freshman Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) during his five minutes of questioning.

Moreno, who now sits on a key committee that helps shape the future of transportation in America, made it clear where he stands on the future of public transportation.

His vision: everyone should go buy a car. The best solution to America’s mass transit issues is for every citizen to purchase their own vehicle.

To many, this might sound like an out-of-touch rookie mistake and with the price of cars in 2025, it is a little bit like the famous “Let them eat cake” line from the French Revolution.

But for SMART-TD members, and all who support public transportation, this is no joking matter. It is a flashing warning light.

Why? Senator Moreno wasn’t a policymaker before stepping into office. He wasn’t a mayor, a state senator, or even a city council member. He was… a car dealer.

It gets worse.

Follow the Money: $750,000 from the Auto Industry

According to the non-partisan transparency site OpenSecrets.org, Moreno’s campaign received over $750,000 in contributions from the automotive industry. That’s a steep sum from an industry that stands to benefit from defunding or discrediting public transit.

So when Moreno launched into a tirade against Amtrak, calling it the equivalent of a “1970s Russian car,” it felt less like genuine concern and more like an infomercial. When you’ve only sold one product your entire life, maybe everything starts to look like the same old sales pitch.

This kind of logic, if left unchecked, poses a serious risk to SMART-TD’s members across Amtrak, commuter rail, and even our bus divisions.

Where Do Moreno’s Loyalties Lie?

Here’s where it gets ironic.

While Senator Moreno was promoting private cars and badmouthing trains, his home state of Ohio, under fellow Republican and (SMART-endorsed) Governor Mike DeWine, is actively pushing for expanded passenger rail service. Plans are already underway for a high-speed rail line linking Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. If successful, it could become one of the country’s most significant passenger rail expansions.

So, which path will Senator Moreno choose?

Will he listen to his own state, his constituents, his voters, and the future of transit in the Midwest? Or will he let the powerful auto industry steer Ohio’s destiny?

A Chance for Education and Engagement

To be fair, Moreno is new to the Senate, and SMART-TD believes there is still time to reach him. Our Safety and Legislative Departments, both at the national level and in Ohio, are ready to meet with Senator Moreno and explain how public transportation is a necessity for millions of Americans.

We urge Senator Moreno to engage with the facts, to listen to the voices of Ohioans who rely on transit, and to work with us—not against us—to build a better, more connected transportation system.

Let’s make sure the tracks ahead stay clear for public transportation, for rail labor, and for working families everywhere.

The Anaheim Regional Training Seminar (RTS) begins on Monday, September 8, 2025, with an evening Welcome Reception. The training will cover topics such as local governance, the roles and responsibilities of local presidents, secretaries, treasurers, legislative representatives, and local chairpersons in member advocacy, an overview of the SMART Constitution, and other key subjects. 

Location: Hotel FERA Anaheim, a DoubleTree by Hilton
Dates: September 8-11, 2025 (S&T : September 8-12)
Room Rate: $159/night 
Registration Fee: $75

For a detailed meeting agenda, please visit the Meetings page via the SMART Union mobile app. 

All RTS presentations will be available on the SMART University site, and those attending future meetings can print them off to assist in following along when attending the in-person classes.

We look forward to seeing you in Anaheim! 

Space in some of the training tracks is limited and will be filled on a first-come first-served basis. Online Registration Is Required!

Registration closes on August 25, 2025, and there will be no onsite registration available.  

To Register for Classes: RTS Registration ► 
To Book Your Hotel Reservation: Hotel Reservation Link ► 

Please note: Attendees are responsible for making their hotel reservations. To ensure that you secure a room at the discounted rate, please make your reservation by August 11.

For more information, contact Nick Torres in the SMART-TD office at 216-227-5269 or by email at ntorres@smart-union.org. 

Following is an update directly from President Jeremy Ferguson for SMART-TD freight carrier members, specifically those who are currently under “national handling” for the 2025 bargaining round.

This round got off to a good start on the earliest schedule ever, with tentative agreements reached before the opening period required under the Railway Labor Act.  

Currently, most of Rail Labor has already ratified what is now a “pattern agreement,” including the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE), which is the second-largest rail union membership-wise.

This was an historic tentative agreement that had been proposed to some of our membership already, but unfortunately it was turned down during the ratification process last year. It’s a significant TA, because it provides the largest front-loaded pay increase schedule, totaling a compounded 18.78 percent pay increase, with additional increases in vacation benefits for members with less than 25 years of service, increases in H&W benefits and improved vision/dental benefits, without third party intervention. By July 1, 2029, the foreman rate of pay will increase $61.40 per day and the conductor basic daily rate of pay will increase $55.28. (Under the record 22% of PEB 250 our foreman saw a $63.36 per day increase and our conductors saw a $56.53 basic day increase.)  

“Front loaded” means that the larger pay increases come in at the beginning of the contract rather than at the end of it, which strengthens the compounding effect of each subsequent wage increase. Historically, our largest wage increases have been towards the end of our moratoriums.

“Without third party intervention” means that never has a union accomplished this much without givebacks and without a mediator, arbitrator or Presidential Emergency Board being involved in the process.  

If you’re not familiar with the NRLC Bargaining Chart, you can review it here ►

President Ferguson and the full SMART-TD negotiating team will be meeting with the NCCC in Cleveland next Tuesday (July 22) to continue the negotiations, except for where we have already ratified agreements.  

It’s unfortunate that we are still at the table negotiating here in July, instead of celebrating the first of the five pay increases going into effect July 1, but the circumstances are understandable due to the large misinformation campaign that was waged on social media and on the cabs of our locomotives by another union.  Furthermore, it’s important that our younger (newer) members understand what a moratorium is and how that can protect them. The sooner we get this round of negotiations completed, the sooner a moratorium will be in place to secure their futures for another five years! This is huge, in the event technology rears its ugly head and God forbid, the government sees no issue with its implementation thereof.

What about our Crew Consist Agreement that mandates conductors on all trains? 

Since there are no work rule changes to this effect, we will have another five-year period where no changes can even be proposed under Section 6 of the RLA once we ratify these agreements.

This is huge!  

We have obtained a two-person crew (2-PC) regulation from the FRA, but we are still very concerned about what the Supreme Court has done with its recent Chevron decision which could compromise our regulation. We are still fighting for Congress to pass the latest Rail Safety bell, which would make 2-PC the law of the land. While we pursue this critical legislation, we still need to take every other possible measure to secure our futures one step at a time. Ratifying this agreement does this.  

Members have asked: what are we giving up?

The answer: NOTHING!

There are no work rule changes in this proposal. This is a win-win for rail labor, hence the reason that nine other rail unions have already ratified the same pattern agreement, including our brothers and sisters in the SMART Sheet Metal Rail Department. Our SMART-TD Yardmasters on CSX have now ratified this pattern, along with our BNSF Yardmasters but in a more modified version.  

My office will provide another update following our July 22 meeting with the NCCC. All members are encouraged to keep staying engaged and standing united as we move forward in this crucial process.    

NRLC-Bargaining-Chart-7-3-25 Download

June 27 is an important day for Brother Bill Link.

In 1972, it was the day that he began his railroad career. In 2025, it was the day that he officially retired after 53 years of service, the highest Amtrak seniority in the country.

“I loved it. It’s like riding on a rolling treasurer chest, if you’re conscious,” reflected Brother Link in an interview with SMART News two weeks into his retirement. “I found out it was the perfect job for me.”

An Abrupt End to Post-Graduation Limbo

After graduating from Lincoln University in the early 1970s, Brother Link wasn’t in a hurry to find a job.

Instead, he was hanging out at the bar with his friends before heading home between three and four o’clock in the morning, just “living life after college.”

Then one morning he woke up to his 6’3”, 300-pound truck-driver father standing over him. He told him “Boy, if you think you’re gonna be sleeping in my house when I’m going to work after I put you through college, you got another thing coming.”

The next thing Brother Link knew, he was at a job fair in New York City.

“I said ‘Hell no, I don’t want to county money in a room all my life’ so I went up to Central Park and hung out for an hour or two.”

While he was there, he thought about a suggestion from a neighbor back home about the railroad looking for new hires.

Too Tall to be an Engineer

He vividly remembers taking a test with about 11 other men before being told that he was picked for the premier engineer job but was too tall.

As an African American during the height of the Black Power Movement, Brother Link figured that “reasoning” had something to do with his skin color. But it wasn’t that or physical stature that made him too tall. It was his hair.

He waited in a room for about 20 minutes before someone came in and told him “Mr. Link, if you want a job, come back in one hour without that” and pointed to his afro.

“That was the day the revolution died,” said Brother Link, laughing.

Brother Bill Link (left) at his retirement celebration (Photo courtesy of David Pendleton)

Starting a New Chapter

The day the revolution died was also the birth of Brother Link’s more than five-decades on the rails.

“I was working on freight trains, coal trains, whatever. So I had a mixed career,” he explained. “It wasn’t always on the passenger train, but by the time I got older I got on the passenger train.”

That’s where Brother Link had some of his most impactful experiences.

“The conductor had a lot of roles to play,” he said. “He’s a priest, he’s a policeman, he’s an entertainer. When the train is late, he’s got to keep the people informed and occupied, things like that.”

His last passenger that he talked to before retirement was especially memorable.

“[It] was [singer] Dionne Warwick. She rode the first-class car, and I told her my story about how I’m getting ready to retire.”

The connection that she shares with the railroad is even more memorable: her father was a Pullman Car Porter.

“Can you imagine that?” asked Brother Link. “She was telling me she could always remember two trips that she took. One was to Florida with her father on the train and one to California. She’s the nicest lady.”

Breaking Barriers

Even though he met his fair share of superstars and “shakers and bakers,” Brother Link is most proud of the path that he forged for other African Americans.

“For all we hear in the media and all we hear everywhere, the railroad was very accommodating to race at the time I got hired. There were individuals that were ridiculous, but the railroad as a whole was acceptable.”

Back in the 1970s, his role caught some riders by surprise.

“In my early years on the railroad, African Americans who were 90 years old would come up to me and say ‘Son, we thought we’d never see this day’ when they saw me as a conductor. So I always viewed myself as an ambassador for our race.”

Brother Link was also the first African American to serve as the president of Local 1470.

He received the A. Philip Randolph Lifetime Achievement Award and was presented with the Golden Lantern from SMART-TD upon his retirement.

Brother Bill Link receives the Golden Lantern at his retirement celebration (Photo courtesy of David Pendleton)

At the end of the day, he attributes his accomplishments to the foundation that his mother laid for him.

“[She was from] the Jim Crow South so she didn’t want to see us boys getting hurt or anything,” explained Brother Link. “She always told us to be humble, caring, kind and courteous. That was the major ingredient for me making it 50 years.”

Honoring a Mentor and Friend

One of the SMART-TD members who already misses Brother Link is Maryland Safety and Legislative Director David Pendleton, who cites him as his first railroad mentor.

“If you looked up the word ‘trailblazer,’ there will probably be a picture of him somewhere in there,” said SLD Pendleton. “When you think of Local 1470, you think of Bill Link. He’s been a mentor to so many of the members, including myself. I became a union officer at his urging.”

His absence from the train for the past couple of weeks has been an adjustment, but SLD Pendleton is excited for his union brother’s next chapter.

“I’m very happy that my friend is finally retiring and enjoying the years of work that he’s done,” he said. “I’ve been on the railroad over 20 years, and these are the first weeks that I’ve ever been there and he’s not there. So it’s just bittersweet for me. But I miss my buddy, no doubt about it.”

At 75 years old, Brother Link is ready for whatever lies ahead, especially after his retirement celebration.

“The Bible says it best. To all things, there’s a season. A time to be born, time to work, time to live, time to retire, time to die. I had my run with the railroad, and the party they gave me is fulfilling for a lifetime.”

More transit workers in California could soon have stronger protections, thanks to a bill that expands penalties and widens the coverage of temporary restraining orders (TRO).

The bill, AB 394, is currently moving through the legislative process.

Stronger Penalties for Attacks on Transit Workers

Current law states that the penalty for assaulting a bus driver or passenger is punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $10,000 or both. If an injury results from the incident, the punishment involves potential time in state prison.

The problem is that the list of those who are protected by these penalties is very narrow.

With attacks against transit workers grabbing headlines nationwide, SMART-TD’s California Safety & Legislative Director Louis Costa says that more needs to be done.

Restraining Orders to Cover Entire Transit System Automatically

“Every day, transit workers are spit at, stabbed, hit, sexually assaulted, and more,” explained SLD Costa. “These incidents on public transportation system systems create safety risks and disrupt operations, making it harder for workers to perform their duties and passenger who rely on public transit.”

Under the current law, employers or unions can only file a temporary restraining order (TRO) on behalf of the employee who was harassed, attacked, or threatened. No additional enforcement, such as a system-wide ban, is available.

“These incidents have had a direct impact on daily operations, and as a result, many agencies throughout the state are experiencing severe operator and employee shortages,” Costa continued. “This has also impacted riders’ feelings of safety on public transit systems.”

The pending bill expands current law to include an employee, public transportation provider, or contractor of a public transportation provider and makes TROs applicable across the entire transit system.

This means that instead of applying to a single operator, the offender would be temporarily banned from all vehicles, stations, stops, and facilities operated by the transit agency.

“This bill empowers transit agencies, employee representatives, and courts with additional tools to deter harmful behavior and enhance safety across California’s public transportation systems,” SLD Costa said.

SMART-TD Adds California to Transit Safety Legislative Priorities

California is the latest in a growing list of states where SMART-TD members are running or have passed legislation to better protect transit workers.

This year alone, our brothers and sisters in Maryland, Colorado, and Massachusetts have either notched legislative wins to secure or strengthen safety protections or are very close to doing so, which SLD Costa points out is a hallmark of our union.

“SMART-TD has been, and continues to be, a firm advocate of prioritizing public transit and the safety of our members and all transit agency employees.”

AB 394 passed unanimously out of the Senate Committee on Public Safety last week and awaits a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.