SMART Union
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has outlined his concerns about funding gaps in long-term transportation bills proposed by the House and the Senate.
In a letter he penned to Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and released Monday, Foxx noted that each proposal significantly cuts funding for the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan program.
Read more from Progressive Railroading.
Following discussions with Transportation Division representatives of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers union (SMART TD), Great Lakes Airlines has agreed to implement a Captain Incentive Plan (CIP); an annual calendar year program which pays a cash incentive to eligible pilots each calendar quarter.
Intended to retain existing captain qualified pilots and provide an incentive for first officers (FO) to upgrade to the position of captain, the CIP proposal was codified as a letter of agreement under the Railway Labor Act to be effective Nov. 4, 2015.
With the assistance of SMART TD Vice President Jeremy Ferguson, Senior Pilot John Nolan and Local 40 President Dave McLaughry were instrumental in ensuring the CIP agreement would meet the approval of the pilot group. “This is a win-win situation for both the airline and the pilots, as it will surely help keep qualified pilots at a time when the airline needs them most. It will be another nice wage increase following the contract ratification last year that resulted in significant pay raises,” said Ferguson. “The agreement also ensured pilots who meet the criteria are eligible to receive a bonus this quarter ending Dec. 31, 2015, so our captains should see the results of our negotiations in the very near future.”
The following pilots are eligible to participate in the plan and are termed “CIP Eligible”:
The company will also apply the provisions of this program to recruit and to retain first officers for the EMB-120 aircraft. EMB-120 first officers must possess an Airline Transport Pilot/Restricted Airline Transport Pilot certificate and an EMB 120 type rating to be eligible for the CIP.
To receive the quarterly incentive payment (IP), the pilot must be an active employee or on a company- approved leave of absence (as defined in Section 10 of the current labor agreement between the company and SMART TD) on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of the plan year. The quarterly IP will be paid on the first regularly scheduled flight crew payday following the quarter-end dates. The CIP will be taxed at the employee’s normal rates, or the pilot may elect to have the IP contributed in whole or in part into the pilot’s 401(k) account.
The quarterly IP amount to be paid will be calculated by multiplying the applicable amount shown in the quarterly incentive column below, times the percentage of the calendar quarter for which the pilot is active. If the pilot is on a company-approved leave of absence they will be considered in active status for leave periods up to 15 days. Leave time in excess of 15 days will be deducted from the period of active employment status in the quarter.
Type Aircraft/Rating | Quarterly Incentive | Full Year Incentive |
BE-1900 D Captain | $1,250 | $5,000 |
BE-1900 D Pre-test EMB-120 FO | $1,250 | $5,000 |
EMB-120 Captain | $1,875 | $7,500 |
EM B-120 ATP/R-ATP FO | $750 | $3,000 |
The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) yesterday opened a new commuter-rail station in Spotsylvania County, Va., which now marks the southern terminus for VRE train service on the Fredericksburg line.
Read more from Progressive Railroading.
A bill to extend federal surface transportation funding beyond Friday was introduced yesterday to give congressional conference committee members more time to work out their differences on multi-year transportation reauthorization legislation.
Read more from Progressive Railroading.
A congressionally mandated regulation to prevent coercing drivers from violating the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations is close to becoming reality.
The final rule was cleared by the White House Office of Management and Budget on Thursday, Nov. 12.
The regulation has been much anticipated by truckers, who often find themselves forced with violating regulations because of pressure from shippers, receivers, brokers, etc.
Read more from Land Line mag.com.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Passengers who fly Great Lakes Airlines could see a big change if the Federal Aviation Administration approves a request from the Cheyenne-based regional carrier.
Officials at Great Lakes Airlines want all 19 passenger seats aboard their Beechcraft 1900D turboprops available for use.
Only nine passenger seats are available on each aircraft now. In March 2014, the FAA allowed Great Lakes to remove 10 seats from each of these airplanes.
Read more from The Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
The project to develop a long-overdue new rail tunnel from New Jersey under the Hudson River to New York City took a major step forward on November 11 with the creation of a corporation within the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to oversee the scheme.
The Gateway Development Corporation (GDC) will coordinate the project and will be controlled by a four-member board with representation from the states of New York, New Jersey, Amtrak and the Federal Department of Transportation. As part of the agreement to found GDC, the federal government and Amtrak have committed to funding half of the estimated $US 20bn project, with the two states funding the other half.
Read more from International Railway Journal.
The U.S. Senate on Nov. 10, 2015, passed a motion opposing the allowance of twin 33-foot trailers on federal highways in a 56-31 vote.
The amendment, “Motion to Instruct Conferees of the Highway Bill on Double 33-Foot Trailer Trucks,” would instruct conferees to allow the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary to issue a federal rule allowing for these longer trucks only if USDOT finds that such an increase would not have a net negative impact on public safety.
Read more from RailwayAge.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) will soon unveil its expectations for railroads to meet the newly extended Dec. 31, 2018, deadline for positive train control (PTC) implementation, FRA Administrator Sarah Feinberg told members of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) last week.
Feinberg urged railroads not to make the extension their primary focus, but to focus on “getting PTC up and running as soon as possible,” according to a prepared statement of remarks.
“Over the last year, I am sure you have observed that FRA is in a much more aggressive posture on PTC, and everyone should expect for that posture to continue,” Feinberg told the committee, which advises the railroad industry on safety policy.
Read more from Progressive Railroading.