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General Chairman Rick Pauli has announced his retirement after 32 years as a railroader. As he steps away, Rick leaves a stronger, more resilient union in his wake. His care and contributions will resonate for years to come.

Brother Pauli hired onto Amtrak in January 1993 as a Passenger Conductor.  He became Local Chairman of Harrisburg Local 816 in 2009 before becoming General Committee Secretary in 2013. In November of 2018, he moved up to Vice General Chairman before ascending to General Chairman of GO-769 the following February.  

Pauli successfully negotiated several collective bargaining agreements, bringing unprecedented wage increases to his members. This includes the 2024 Amtrak Agreement that delivered the highest wage increase in Amtrak’s history. 

He has arbitrated hundreds of cases, reinstating several members with full back pay while establishing precedents that protect all our members across a range of claims-related issues.

GO-769 Secretary Javier Ramirez, Vice General Chair John Vessels, Michelle Meade, General Chair Rick Pauli, Office Manager Kelli Hack, and Suzanne Bartley.

 In addition, Pauli helped our members navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and other unprecedented challenges on the railroad.

Rick’s dedication, leadership, tireless advocacy, and commitment to improving the lives of those he represented have made a lasting impact. He will always be our brother, and we wish him the very best in this next chapter of his life.

Brother Rick Pauli, we say thank you, for your service to this union and leadership in GO-769.

Farmington, NM — SMART-TD Local 1687, the bus Operators working for Red Apple Transit, have unanimously ratified a four-year agreement that delivers a significant wage increase, along with new quality of life precedents.

The Secret to Employee Retention: Respect, Wages and Quality of Life

“Red Apple came to us frustrated with retention issues and their inability to attract quality operators. We told them point-blank: the quickest way to solve that problem is to raise wages. This agreement shows they heard us loud and clear.” Local Chairperson Steve Economos explained.

When compounded over the four years of the agreement, Local 1687’s members will receive a total wage increase of 22.13%.

Paid Holidays Doubled: From five to ten paid holidays per year.

Bereavement Policy Modernized: Members can use bereavement leave non-consecutively, allowing time for both immediate needs and future services.

Paid Sick Leave Expanded: Sick time has been increased from 40 hours to 64 hours annually, adding three additional paid sick days per year.

PTO Protection During Weather Delays: Previously, Local 1687 members were forced to use PTO when weather delays affected service. That unfair practice ends with this agreement.

Transit Union Creates New Bereavement Leave Precedent

The flexible bereavement leave policy is a powerful new precedent for SMART-TD locals across the country. What started as a Local 1687 priority could be used to negotiate a nationwide standard. Additionally, small injustices like being forced to use their PTO for weather delays don’t make headlines, but they have a real impact on morale. “These are the kinds of things a union is here to fight for,” he said. “We don’t let those things slide.”

The Tentative Agreement (TA) was negotiated by Brother Economos with support from SMART-TD Vice President James Sandoval and General Committee Chairperson Justin Schrock.

“I want to thank our incredible membership for standing together on this. The company didn’t want to lose our members, and that made it so we were able to get our wage increase and much more.” Brother Economos went on to say. “I also want to thank Vice President James Sandoval and General Committee Chairperson Justin Schrock for their work and creativity throughout the process.”

General Committee Chairperson Justin Schrock praised Economos’s leadership during negotiations. “Brother Economos knew exactly what his members wanted, and he carried that with him through every step of this process. He never wavered. I also want to thank Bus Vice President James Sandoval. I had never negotiated alongside James before, but his creativity, knowledge, and determination to win for our members left a strong impression. It was an honor to work with him.”

Schrock had one final message for the members of Local 1687: “Your hard work is seen, and this agreement proves that Red Apple recognizes the high level of talent and professionalism our members bring to the job every day. They’ve shown they’re willing to pay to retain it, and that’s because of you.”

SMART-TD GO-769 General Chairperson Rick Pauli is pleased to announce that his General Committee has reached a tentative agreement (TA) on April 1, 2025, with the TransitAmerica Services, Inc. (TASI) Conductors and Assistant Conductors for its over 150 members in Northern California.

Some of the highlights of the tentative agreement will include:

Retroactive pay from July 1, 2022.

General Wage Increase will be as follows: July 1, 2022 – 5%, July 1, 2023 – 5%, July 1, 2024 – 5%. July 1, 2025 – 4.5%, July 1, 2026 – 4.5%.

This total GWI over the five-year term will compound out to 26.4%.

Modification of bereavement leave to include additional family members.

Increase in the meal period on yard assignments.

A modest increase in Health and Welfare premiums

Overall, this is a great agreement, with very minimal work rule changes and a significant GWI that will certainly set a pattern for Commuter Railroads moving forward. I would like to thank the following people for making this TA possible – Local Chairperson 1732 Reggie Kesecker, Vice General Chairperson, John Vessels, and Secretary of GO-769, Javier Ramirez. I would also like to thank former GO-769 Secretary DeVar Thompson who initially started this process with the team. Without all of their help over these past few years, this TA would not have been possible.

This ratification process will be conducted electronically through BallotPoint. Each member will receive instructions from them on how to cast your vote mailed to your address on file in the coming days. Please get with your Secretary/Treasurer to make sure your address, email and phone number is correctly updated in the system.

Brother Juan Carrillo joined Tennessee Local 1308 on December,1 2024. He’s already saved a man’s life.

A man lying on the tracks

Brother Carrillo was coming into Leewood Yard on March 15, which was completely full of trash as usual. Something black on the rail caught his eye.

“The guy lifted his head…he was just laying on the rail long ways, wearing all black,” Carrillo remembered. “He had black hair. So we couldn’t notice him until he lifted up his head, and we started honking the horn.” It was too late to stop.

“He was fully in the rail,” Carrillo added. “He must have woken up enough to try and roll out, but he didn’t quite get there.” The man disappeared beneath the train.

Life or Death

After the train stopped, Brother Carrillo gathered his gear and rushed to see if anything could be done. He vividly remembers what happened next.

“I was looking on the side, because he was closer to the engineer side,” Carrillo said. “I get there and I see his foot. And then I look further forward. I go closer to check on him, and I wasn’t sure if he was alive or not. Then I noticed he’s breathing.”

“I look at his leg, and it’s kind of shredded up… There was slight hesitation at the beginning just because I thought we had just completely killed [him], but once I saw he was alive, it just kicked right in that I needed to do something.”

Military training pays off

After seven years of active duty and as a current member of the National Guard, Brother Carrillo is confident that his military training and experience played a critical role in this situation.

“Just from running through drills and stuff, you kind of get used to being around hectic situations,” Carrillo described. “It’s a lot easier to keep a calm head and to know what you need to do.”

Keep calm and carry on

Brother Carrillo’s advice for other members who happen to find themselves in a similar situation is simple: “If something like that happens, do your best to keep a calm head.”

He didn’t have a string long enough to form a tourniquet, but he noticed the man’s lace-up boots.

“I take off his boot lace, and I tie a knot on the end…wrap it around his leg or his thigh above where it’s cut off, put it through the knot and tighten it as hard as I can and just start wrapping to keep the pressure on,” Carrillo explained.

Carrillo’s improvised solution stopped the man from bleeding to death.

Lifesaving truth: train crews are always able to respond first

This situation would have turned fatal without a qualified second crewperson in the cab of that train.

Would Trip Optimizer notice the subtle movement of the man’s head or reacted with the same urgency? Could a remote operator jump off the head end and rush to render aid? Can an autonomous cargo unit improvise a tourniquet to wrap around the man’s severed leg?

Further, would a solo engineer be required to man the cab until his Road Utility or roving conductor could drive in to assist? If the lone engineer wanted to help, how long would they be delayed securing their engines and other equipment first?

These questions all have the same answer. The man would have bled out on the tracks before anyone could arrive to help.

A fully manned locomotive is a life-saving necessity. Having a second set of eyes, hands, and instincts makes all the difference in a crisis.

Thank you, Brother Carrillo, for your life-saving actions. Thank you for your service to our country and taking such decisive action in an emergency. Your SMART-TD family is proud to count you as one of our own!

SMART News sits down with Greg Hynes, SMART-TD’s National Director of the Safety and Legislative Department, and Phil Qualy, retired Minnesota Safety and Legislative Director, to discuss the critical implications of proposed cuts within the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB).

As advocates for the hardworking men and women who keep our nation’s railroads moving, Greg and Phil highlight how these changes could delay essential services, increase processing times, and ultimately impact the financial security of current and future retirees along with every railroader that is furloughed or is out of work for medical reasons.

Watch The Video Here

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, take a moment to reflect on the strength, perseverance, and leadership of the women who are shaping our union. Let us be clear: this isn’t about shining a spotlight on a few people for the sake of a month-long observation. Their leadership is rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a woman in our traditionally male-dominated industries.

Throughout March, SMART-TD shared the stories of women like the sisters of the White Pass Railroad, April Ford, Manda Snide, Rashonda Brown, Shakyia Ward, Jessica Martin, and Martha Claugus. These women are not just part of Women’s History Month, they are making history. Period.

We hold our sisters up as trailblazers. These women do the job, work long hours, and lead the way. They are tough as nails, and the respect they receive is earned by proving time and again that they are made of the same grit as anyone else in the labor movement.

History Will Remember Their Strength, The Future Will Know Their Example

These women are paving the way for others to follow. Our union is filled with thousands of equally capable women, and we owe them our gratitude. Every shift they work, every safety issue they tackle, and every member they support strengthens the fabric of our union.

The Real Story: Normalizing Women’s Leadership

Others might use Women’s History Month to paint an idealized picture of what women could achieve in the workforce. But at SMART-TD aren’t here for possibilities, we’re here for realities. Our sisters are laying the groundwork for the future of our industry and of the labor movement in this country. Your impact matters twelve months of the year.

They are the generation that normalized women in leadership roles, who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they can be a driving force on the job and in the labor movement.

To our sisters who were featured in SMART News this month, we thank each and every one of you for sharing your stories and for showing what leadership looks like.

March 24, 2025 — SMART-TD GO-769, led by General Chairperson Rick Pauli, has reached a tentative agreement with Keolis Commuter Services. Keolis employs 450 SMART-TD represented conductors and assistant conductors on behalf of the MBTA in Boston.

If you are a Keolis employee please contact Secretary/Treasurer Cole Czub (cole.czub@yahoo.com) to verify your address, email and phone number as soon as possible.   

The ratification process will be conducted electronically through BallotPoint. Instructions for casting a ballot will be mailed to each member over the next few days. 

The tentative agreement includes:

 Retroactive pay from July 1, 2023.

Scheduled general wage increases (GWI): July 1, 2023 – 5%, July 1, 2024 – 5%, July 1, 2025 – 5%. July 1, 2026 – 5%, June 15, 2027 – 5% plus an additional $2.00 per hour.

These increases compound to 32.69% for conductors and 33.51% for assistant conductors over the life of the agreement.

Three (3) additional paid sick days per year.

The addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday.

The modification of vacation allotments for new employees within their first two years of service.

Modification of bereavement leave to include additional family members.

 These increases were negotiated with minimal work rule changes. The significant GWI increase provides a precedent for other commuter railroads moving forward.

Pauli would like to thank Local 898 Chairpersons Cole Czub and Kenny Owens, Vice General Chairperson John Vessels, GO-769 Secretary Javier Ramirez and Vice President David Weir. Pauli would also like to thank former Local 898 Chairperson Wayne Thistle and former GO-769 Secretary DeVar Thompson for their contributions early in the process. Without their help this TA would not have been possible.

Historic wage increases with no concessions

With an overwhelming vote of support on March 19, the members of SMART-TD Local 1887 proved once again that the power of our collective action is unmatched in securing lasting, meaningful change for rail workers.

The third-generation agreement ratifies a record-breaking wage increase that puts compensation at the Birmingham Terminal Railway well above any other WATCO property, union or non-union.

The agreement delivers a remarkable 26% General Wage Increase (GWI) over five years, which compounds to nearly 29% over the life of the contract.

This redefines what’s possible for short-line rail workers across the industry.

A wakeup call for nonunion railroaders

If you work at a short line, know that you don’t have to go it alone. The SMART-TD family is here with the tools, leadership, and track record to help you win.

This victory isn’t just about one location, SMART-TD is creating a movement. Workers are stronger, safer, and more secure with SMART-TD at their side. If you’re working under non-union conditions, take a hard look at what Local 1887 just accomplished and ask yourself: What could we do with SMART-TD on our side?

Solidarity and proven SMART-TD strategy win better quality of life

Lance Hollis, local chair for 1887, told SMART News that “Our members were focused on wage increases, and we made sure we got it!” Hollis added that he and all the members of 1887 were grateful for the leadership they saw from SMART-TD Vice President David Wier, Jr. and General Chair Tom Gholson. “Those guys really made it happen for us. They were right there with us, digging in and doing everything they could to make our lives better through this negotiation.”

The agreement also guarantees lasting improvements on day-to-day quality of life:

Guaranteed 8-hour pay for all basic day assignments, regardless of time on duty

Solidified a permanent Utility position in the contract

Carrier-required certification pay: When certification-required testing forces a member to miss a shift, the carrier now pays them a make-whole claim so they are not financially penalized for missing that day’s work.

Most notably, they made all of this progress without giving a single concession!

Tom Gholson, general chairperson of GCA-898 told SMART News, “This agreement is a statement. Our members deserve the best, and Hollis and his team at 1887 made sure they got it. Lance did a great job articulating what was important to his members. I’m just glad to have been a part of it and to have given this local the support system they needed to take the big swing they did. Lance and his team were the ones that made sure it landed!”

Brother Gholson went on to say, “This contract is not just a win, it’s a blueprint for what short-line workers across the country can achieve when they stand together with SMART-TD.”

Faced with substandard wages and grueling conditions, our brothers and sisters made the bold decision to unionize, and they’ve never looked back. This latest agreement proves, once again, that unionized short-line workers have the power to demand and secure a better future even those under the thumb of large companies like WATCO.

SMART-TD Vice President David Wier, Jr. played a pivotal role in the negotiation. “David is the cream of the crop,” said Brother Gholson. “His experience with short line properties and calm, calculated approach gave us the edge we needed. His guidance, along with the fire of the local team, delivered a monumental win for our membership.”

Vice President David Wier, Jr. remarked, “I would like to extend my profound gratitude to General Chairperson Tommy Gholson and Local Chairperson Lance Hollis for their assistance and tenacity at the bargaining table with BHRR. With their assistance and resolve, we were able to achieve monumental wage increases and other significant improvements to the Agreement on behalf of the Membership at BHRR.”

A call to action for railroaders everywhere

The success at Local 1887 should serve as a wake-up call to workers at non-union WATCO, Genesee & Wyoming, Patriot Rail, and all other short-line crew bases: Together, we move forward. Together, we win.

Interested in organizing your workplace?
Reach out to the SMART-TD Organizing Department and start building the future you deserve.

SMART-TD: Stronger Together.

Rashonda Brown and Shakyia Ward are both conductors for New Jersey Transit.

They’re not just co-workers. They’re also mother and daughter.

But even though the two women are related and work for the same agency, they’ve made it a priority to forge their own professional paths.

“[My mom’s] the chairman of the North Division,” Sister Ward explained. “The first thing I did was go to the Hoboken division and qualified there. That was kind of a shocker because everybody assumed I would just go to the Northside and be under my mom. But it was kind of a thing where it was like I wanted to create my own identity. I didn’t want to just be Rashonda Brown’s daughter, and I wanted people to see that.”

“Not only am I Rashonda Brown’s daughter, but I’m actually good at the job, too.”

Shoe Store Encounter Leads to a Job Offer

Back in 2000, Sister Brown was a single mom working as a hairdresser at a beauty parlor.

Her sister (who is also a conductor for New Jersey Transit), encouraged her to fill out an application to join her, but she was convinced that she had no interest in being a train conductor.

Several years later, Sister Brown was managing a shoe store at the mall.

One day, her sister was there but so was the person who had just become the General Chairman for the conductors at New Jersey Transit at the time.

The previous administration left him to figure things out on his own, and he was looking for an assistant to help him out.

After telling her sister that she still wasn’t sure if the position would be a good fit for her, Sister Brown had a meeting with the General Chairperson and decided to give the role a shot, ultimately beginning her union journey.

Three years later and with an election on the horizon for the General Chairman, he asked Sister Brown if she had ever thought about working in transit.

Once again, she wasn’t sure, but he wanted to guarantee that she’d still have a job if he lost the election.

Realizing that her personable nature would likely be an asset on the job, she made the switch and began working as a conductor.

Her daughter’s story isn’t that much different.

She was in nursing school, but went to work at a bank after realizing it wasn’t the career path she thought it would be.

Then, her mom suggested that she come and work for the railroad.

“I kept saying to her, “You know, we didn’t pay for college for you to be making $17 an hour,’” Sister Brown said. “I know you don’t want to work [on the railroad], but let’s just try it out and see what happens and when you find something better than the railroad, then you can leave. It’s been six years now.”

Changing Times

Throughout both of their careers, the two women have seen lots of changes.

“We have more women than we’ve ever had on this property,” Sister Brown pointed out. “I remember I was in a class of 18, and there were only about four women in that class. The boys’ club is kind of just dispersing a little because now you have more women. I’m trying to still make it better and leave it better for the people that still have to be here when I’m gone.”

“I had a child while I was working on the railroad, and I feel like I was taken care of as far as maternity leave,” Sister Ward said. “I was able to actually spend time with my child, but it’s just small things that men don’t think about.”

Not all the changes have been positive, though.

“The other thing that has changed and this is just the world we live in now is that it’s real dangerous for us,” Sister Brown emphasized. “Our members are being attacked on a daily basis. I’ve never seen it the way it is, you know?”

“There’s a little thought in the back of our head, like ‘Are we gonna make it home today?’” Sister Ward said. “A constant thought of being in public, not really knowing what everyone’s going through and how they may take what you may say or ask them.”

The Family Business

It’s not just the mother-daughter duo who work for New Jersey Transit.

Several extended family members are also employed there, but that doesn’t mean that any of them were guaranteed hires.

“I think the difference between people working for transit and other jobs is you don’t just get grandfathered into it, because of someone you know that works there,” Sister Brown explained. “You actually have to put in to work for yourself, because your mom can’t pass the test for you, right?”

Even with her mom working for New Jersey Transit before she did, Sister Ward was still unsure about joining her on the rails.

“I was a little apprehensive with my mom working here and coming home and telling me crazy stories,” she said. “I’m like ‘This can’t be real life. She has to be making this stuff up.’ But I actually enjoy working with my mom. I enjoy what she does. I enjoy seeing her grow in a company.”

Sister Brown agrees.

“That’s enough for me…just to have been a role model for her,” she said. “As a parent, you just want to also make sure your kids if, God forbid, anything happens to me today, I know that she has something that will be able to support her and my granddaughter. It’s not an easy job, but it’s a career that I have not regretted since I started.”

SMART TD is aware that the new federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has published a list of seven Regional Offices of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) on their “Wall Of Receipts.” This means that they have decided to cancel the lease for these office locations as well as the leases of the buildings they are currently housed in.

The RRB offices that are scheduled to be closed are the following.

Mesa, Arizona
Joliet, Illinois
Wichita, Kansas
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Covina, California
Cincinnati, Ohio
Jacksonville, Florida

You can use this Link to DOGE’s website to view the posting. From this website, you can find all seven of the listed RRB offices under the Real Estate Section of the “Wall of Receipts.”

SMART-TD is working with the RRB on this issue. The RRB has applied for an exemption from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to keep these offices open, and that request is currently pending GSA’s decision.

Our union’s National Safety and Legislative Department is working very quickly on Capitol Hill to convey the importance of the railroad retirement system and your access to it. We are also letting those in Washington know that the money used to support the RRB is your direct employee contributions and not federal tax dollars.

As this situation develops, SMART-TD will keep you informed.