SMART UnionSome NJ Transit rail employees who deal with commuters will find themselves back in the classroom next year for a customer relations refresher.
The program was prompted by issues brought up by commuters on social media and shared with NJ Transit. The two day training classes will start in early 2015.
Read the complete story at www.nj.com.
The Washington Department of Ecology on Monday delivered a report to state legislators outlining key recommendations to improve public safety in response to the rapid increase of crude-by-rail shipments through the state.
The Washington Legislature requested the study due to recent changes in how crude is transported through rail corridors and waterways. The “Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study” includes 40 recommendations on ways to better protect public health and safety — such as the prevention of an oil train derailment or spill — as well as how to better respect tribal treaty rights.
Read the complete story at Progressive Railroading.
Imagine you’re in charge of a company that serves the public good; imagine your company, unlike others in the same business, has to ask for money every year to keep itself, an arterial of the country’s transportation system, running.
Imagine that fracking, another part of America’s “essential business,” is gumming up your works. Imagine that high winds last night halted the Capitol Limited train east of Sandusky Bay, winds so strong it was unsafe to cross the bridge for many hours.
Read Helen Mundy Hudson’s guest column in the Journal Review.
Operators employed in the transit industry continue to experience difficult times in relation to obstructive sleep apnea, a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.
Several types of sleep apnea exist, but the most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep. The most noticeable sign of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Transit Administration have identified fatigue and undiagnosed sleep apnea as high-risk vulnerabilities for transit operators, and as an element of probable cause for numerous transit accidents.
In 2013, Congress enacted a law prohibiting the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from implementing or enforcing requirements relating to sleep disorders unless adopted by a rule-making proceeding. However, it did not apply to any requirement in force before Sept. 1, 2013, at which time there were guidelines for screening and testing.
Many questions remain unanswered because it seems carrier medical review officers (MRO) are making determinations on employees based on their beliefs, as opposed to actual physical examinations. The only way a respiratory problem can be detected is through a sleep study and an MRO should request a sleep study if he or she believes there is a problem.
There is also the issue of the costs of medical examinations and who is responsible for payment. Physical examinations required by carriers based on Department of Transportation regulations should be paid for by the carrier. Also, a sleep study is no excuse for an operator to be put out of service.
We must seek a resolution to this problem and stand together, shoulder to shoulder, to ensure our members are not being put out of service and to ensure that the carriers assume the cost of any sleep studies performed.
After a sleep study is completed and the diagnosis is indeed sleep apnea, there are treatment options, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, dental devices and surgical options.
As more information becomes available concerning this disorder and DOT guidelines, we will make sure that all of our members are well informed.
To each and every delegate of the SMART Transportation Division, I would like to thank you for electing me to the position of vice president of SMART’s bus department.
My request to all SMART members is to please work with all of your newly elected officers at all levels of the organization. Keep all of your officers informed regarding the issues you face on a daily basis so they can bring your issues to the table and together, we can get the best deals for our membership.
As a local officer, I was not only a member of this organization, but I also worked for the membership. I was, and remain, a middleman between our individual members and our entire SMART organization. I am here to serve.
We have a very powerful organization in SMART, with more than 130,000 active and retired Transportation Division members. We must continue to work together with our brothers and sisters – for our brothers and sisters – to keep our union strong. We – your officers – are ready to work for you if only you allow us to do so.
Knowledge is power. I ask each of you to try to attend all of your local meetings to stay informed and to educate yourself about your agreements and your fellow members. There are a lot of federal and state rules and regulations in the transportation industry, along with workplace policies. Change is happening all the time, so try your best to keep up with changes that affect you. It is easier to follow the rules by knowing them in advance than learning about them after you have been disciplined.
In our business, time limits are very important. If you feel your contract has been violated, contact your local officers immediately, or leave a note in the union mailbox. I have seen, too many times, members waiting too long to notify their local officers of violations and losing cases because they were not filed in a timely manner.
My telephone number is (216) 287-9324 and my email address is areddy@smart-union.org. I am here to assist you.
The holidays will be here before we know it, so I wish all of you and your families a very happy holiday season. Be “SMART” and be union! I hope to see all of you soon.
Two young girls and one female adult aide were killed and 27 others were injured Tuesday after two Knox County school buses collided on Asheville Highway in East Knoxville.
The wreck, which flipped one bus onto its side, happened near Governor John Sevier Highway just before 3 p.m.
Read the complete story at Television Station WBIR.
By Joseph Sellers Jr.,
SMART?General Secretary-Treasurer –
With the midterm elections over, we now have an impression of what the next two years will look like for legislation affecting working families in the United States.
Overall, anti-worker politicians will now control the legislative agenda in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as in a majority of state houses. The Wall Street CEOs, hedge fund managers and billionaire one-percenters who financed those anti-worker candidates will be expecting a return on their investment.
Based upon comments made on the campaign trail, we have an idea of what will come out of the GOP-dominated Congress in the final two years of the Obama Presidency – at least in how it relates to working family issues.
The newest head of the Senate Committee on Health, Education and Labor is expected to be Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). He donated much of his time and energy to stop a United Auto Workers organizing campaign in Chattanooga, Tenn. Expect attempts through his committee to impede new union election procedures that make it easier for workers to organize, along with new rules targeting pensions, retirement security, health care and worker safety.
Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) introduced a budget proposal that included a provision seeking to dismantle the Railroad Retirement system that has successfully existed for almost a century by placing it on the same tier as Social Security. Ryan also claimed that cutting Railroad Retirement would bring “an estimated savings to taxpayers of $2 billion over 10 years.” Not only is this not true, but it reveals a complete misunderstanding of the Railroad Retirement system that relies on contributions from employees and employers and not American taxpayers.
In terms of H.R. 3040, which would require two-person train crews on America’s railroads, we do not expect much movement now with these election results. However, we will continue to move forward as one union in support of this important legislation. Only a handful of this bill’s co-sponsors are in the GOP majority. Every part of our union will continue to advocate for this bill aggressively to show lawmakers the importance of this legislation as it relates to the safety of local communities and workers.
Make no mistake; the last few years have been difficult for all of us. The economy has been improving, but very little of it has trickled down to the average American. It is my fervent hope that both parties spend more time focusing on measures to expand jobs opportunities and enhance living wages for working families.
We need to stick together and hold politicians accountable by continuing to reinforce the importance of working family issues. These include retirement security for our golden years, an affordable and quality education for our children and fair treatment at work.
The only way to make politicians accountable is by making sure your voice is heard. Only an average of 40 percent of American voters participate in midterm elections. In this election, that number was even smaller, with only 36 percent having voted.
All it takes for bad politicians to be elected is for good people to become complacent about voting. Stay active in your local union. Sign up for action alerts at smart-union.org. Make sure you are registered to vote in your local community and stay informed on the bread-and-butter issues that matter to you, your family and your co-workers.
Even in the wake of what was a devastating election, workers sticking together can make a difference. In my home state of Pennsylvania, for example, SMART Sheet Metal and Transportation members worked to defeat a steadfast anti-worker incumbent governor. Members from across the state knocked on doors, manned phone banks and worked hard to make sure he was held accountable for his attacks on working families. And in the end, thanks to their hard work and the hard work of working families across the state, our brothers and sisters won and he was voted out of office.
As long as we stand together as working people and union members, we can overcome anything.
Fraternally,
Joseph Sellers Jr.
SMART?General Secretary-Treasurer
What should union members know before accepting an offer from the railroad to work on a “special duty” assignment?
For starters, “special duty” assignments are generally not positions covered by the agreement with your union. If “special duty” assignments are not covered under your agreement, then you should understand that you do not have the rights and protections afforded to you under your agreement while you are performing these assignments.
It is recommended that you speak with your union representative to learn exactly what your agreement says about “special duty” assignments.
The following are considerations that should be carefully deliberated before accepting these types of assignments:
•Are “special duty” assignments covered under your agreement? What rights and entitlements do you have while working on these assignments?
•In addition to this added work, are you required and/or allowed to perform your regular assignment as well?
•Are you required and/or allowed to work overtime in your own craft while on “special duty” assignments?
•What are the required duties, responsibilities and expectations of employees while working “special duty” assignments?
•Can you refuse to work “special duty” assignments? Can you refuse to perform certain tasks while working on a “special duty” assignment?
•What should you do if the railroad asks you to perform work that violates your agreement?
•What should you do if the railroad asks you to provide them with information regarding matters that may be harmful to your stable work environment?
•What happens if you find yourself subjected to discipline under the railroad’s discipline policies while working on a “special duty” assignment?
•What obligations do you have when the “special duty” assignment ends? Can you stop working on the “special duty” assignment whenever you decide? Can the railroad stop using you on the “special duty” assignment whenever they decide?
As a union member, you are strongly encouraged to notify your union representative prior to considering these types of assignments and seek their advice. In fairness to your fellow brothers and sisters, you should be transparent about the assignment and report any information to your representative that could impact our jobs, our agreement, our union and our future.
This column was prepared by the J.D. Martin Council of Yardmaster General Chairpersons.
CLEVELAND – An RTA bus driver was attacked with a brick in a sock early Sunday (Nov. 30) morning.
The attack happened at around 12:43 a.m. on the 11 bus line near East 40th Street and Community College Avenue in Cleveland.
Read the complete story at Newsnet5.com.
On the night of Nov. 17, a member of the SMART Transportation Division employed by Los Angeles Metro was brutally assaulted while operating a bus in the West San Fernando Valley.
On Nov. 24, Los Angeles Metro and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department held a joint press conference at 1 Gateway Plaza in Los Angeles to ask for the public’s assistance in finding the individuals involved in this senseless attack.
SMART Transportation Division General Committee of Adjustment 875 (GCA 875) is also asking for the public’s assistance and the assistance of SMART’s membership.
“It is suspected that these individuals are frequent riders of the public transportation system and will reboard a Metro vehicle in the near future,” said GCA 875 General Chairperson James Williams. “If you see the individual pictured here, please don’t hesitate to report it to the authorities. These criminals must be found, they must be arrested and they must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Also at the conference, Los Angeles Metro will be unveiling new programs to assist in the prevention of operator assaults. One initiative will be a pilot program to install a two-part barrier system to provide separation between operators and the public. This method of protection has been sought by this union for more than 15 years.
The SMART Transportation Division fully supports any initiative that promotes and furthers the safety and security of its members.
Earlier this month, the Federal Transit Agency (FTA) sent a letter to Los Angeles Metro informing them of new oversight rules and regulations for local transit agencies in regards to public and operator safety. SMART Transportation Division will be seeking inclusion in these pilot programs with the FTA to increase operator safety.
“These programs will bring the best practices, as well as federal dollars, to tackle the issue of operator safety,” Williams said. “In the past, operator safety has not been granted the appropriate level of attention that it deserves. It is the hope of SMART Transportation Division GCA 875 that new leadership at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, along with cooperation from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Transit Authority board of directors, will bring about new ideas and a sense of urgency to these very serious problems.”
SMART Transportation Division GCA 875 of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers represents more than 5,000 motor coach and light rail operators at LACMTA, also known as L.A. Metro.