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There are moments when solidarity is tested.

This is one of those moments.

Friends of Santa Cruz METRO officially confirmed this week that the campaign will not meet the timeline necessary to place its transit funding measure on the November 2026 ballot. But the campaign itself is very much alive, and in many ways, stronger than ever.

The effort has already collected approximately 7,000 signatures entirely through volunteer labor, putting the campaign ahead of pace to qualify the measure within the full 180-day signature gathering window ending August 7.

That means the mission now is clear: SMART-TD members, transit advocates, riders, and working families still have the power to help secure the remaining 5,500 signatures needed to protect the future of Santa Cruz METRO and the union jobs that depend on it.

This fight did not end on May 11.

It simply entered a new phase.

The Math Is Simple and Powerful

The campaign needs approximately 12,500 valid signatures by August 7.

Roughly 7,000 signatures have already been gathered through grassroots volunteer efforts.

That means approximately 5,500 signatures remain.

Now break that down:

More than 100 union jobs remain connected to the long-term future of this system.
5,500 signatures remain to be gathered.
Every 55 valid signatures collected represents a brother/sister’s job protected.
SMART-TD Local 23 has more than 250 active members.
If every member collected just 22 signatures between now and August, the remaining goal will be reached.

That is achievable.

This campaign has already demonstrated something powerful. Working people can build a serious grassroots movement when they believe their community is worth fighting for.

The Stakes Have Not Changed

Without sustainable local funding, Santa Cruz METRO still faces the possibility of devastating operational cuts over the coming years.

Those cuts threaten service, routes, reliability, and the livelihoods of more than 100 SMART-TD members represented by Local 23.

These are operators and transit professionals who have dedicated themselves to serving Santa Cruz County through difficult years that included the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing shortages, inflation, and operational uncertainty.

Now they are fighting to protect the transit system they helped build.

And the need for that system has never been clearer.

According to Friends of Santa Cruz METRO, ridership is now at its highest level in more than a decade. Total ridership increased 42.5% from late 2024 to late 2025, while local non-student ridership surged by more than 86%.

The Youth Cruz Free program has also helped produce a staggering 500% increase in student ridership.

People are using transit because they need transit.

Working families need it.
Students need it.
Seniors need it.
People with disabilities need it.
And increasingly, working-class communities priced out by rising costs of living depend on it every single day.

This Is About More Than One Election

The reality is that qualifying for the November 2026 ballot became impossible because of timing constraints involved in Sacramento legislation and county election deadlines.

But that does not mean the measure failed.

Far from it.

In fact, the campaign is now positioned to qualify for the March 2028 primary election ballot or a special election if county leaders choose to act sooner.

That matters because we clearly have the public’s support.

Volunteers report overwhelmingly positive reactions from riders and residents. Many community members already understand that Santa Cruz METRO is an essential public service and that losing routes or reducing operations would hurt the entire county.

The mission now is to finish what was started.

What SMART-TD Members Can Do Right Now

This is the stage of a campaign where unions prove who they are.

Not through statements.
Not through slogans.
Through action.

SMART-TD members can help by:

Volunteering at transit centers and community events.
Encouraging registered Santa Cruz County voters to sign.
Helping ensure signatures are complete, legible, and valid.

Get In The Fight

If every SMART-TD member treats these next three months as if the future of our union family depends on it (because it does), then this campaign is absolutely within reach.

If you want to get involved and help save jobs, please contact Friends of Santa Cruz Coordinator, Ella Beck, at (831) 471-7291. She can get you plugged in, get the correct petition in your hands, and help coordinate its return.

Sister Beck can be reached at ellamarevabeck@gmail.com or by phone at (831) 471-7291.

Accuracy Matters

Every valid signature brings the campaign one step closer to protecting service and preserving union jobs.

The New Deadline Is August 7

The pressure facing transit agencies across America is real.

But so is the solidarity inside SMART-TD.

The newest members of Local 23 joined this union because they believed in what their brothers and sisters had built in Santa Cruz over the past decade. Many changed careers and left previous employers because they believed this union movement was worth being part of.

And moments like this are when unions either reinforce that belief or lose it.

This Fight Is Winnable

The campaign is alive.
The support is real.
The momentum is still there.

Now comes the hard part: finishing the job.

So make the calls.
Take the petitions.
Talk to riders.
Talk to neighbors.
Talk to your coworkers.
Bring friends and family into the effort.

Because solidarity is not measured by what we say when things are easy.

It is measured by what we do when the fight gets harder.

For years, railroaders across this country have raised the alarm about the growing use of drones by railroad management inside active rail yards and around moving trains. SMART-TD took those concerns directly to the Federal Aviation Administration last fall, warning that these practices create serious risks, undermine safety culture, and normalize drone activity over some of the nation’s most critical infrastructure.

Now, the FAA has announced a proposed rule that could significantly restrict drone operations around transportation facilities, including rail infrastructure. While this proposal is broader than rail alone, it’s clear that the concerns raised by frontline transportation workers are finally getting attention at the federal level.

This is progress, but the job is not finished. The FAA has opened a public comment period on this proposal through July 5, 2026, and this is the moment for railroad workers to make our voices heard.

The FAA needs to hear from the True Rail Safety Experts: YOU

Many of us have stories about unsafe drone operations by trainmasters or MTO’s who sit on their lawn chairs in the parking lot acting like they are Maverick and Goose. Members have watched trainmasters fly drones through switching operations, over active crews, and around hazardous environments where concentration and communication are critical. Those concerns cannot stay in the break room anymore.

SMART-TD is asking every member who has ever spoken up about these dangers to now tell that same story directly to the FAA. We got the door open, and now we need you to walk through it.

It’s easy to ignore one railroader, but when 100,000 railroad workers speak together, the federal government listens.

Railroaders are the field experts on rail safety in this country. Not consultants. Not corporate safety officers. Not managers standing behind a joystick in their aviator sunglasses.

The men and women working the ground, handling hazardous materials, building trains, and moving freight every day are uniquely qualified to explain what is safe (and what is not) inside America’s rail yards.

How You Can Make Your Voice Heard

You do not need to write a long statement, and it doesn’t have to be poetry.

Tell the FAA:

Your craft and years of railroad experience.
That active rail yards are already dangerous enough without drones creating distractions overhead.
That frontline railroad workers are the true experts on rail safety.
That drones used for surveillance and operational testing create unnecessary hazards and security concerns.
That railroad workers deserve to be consulted before these practices are normalized in critical infrastructure environments.
That normalizing drones flying over the thousands of gallons of hazardous chemicals can’t be allowed to happen, because we won’t know when we are seeing an act of terrorism in progress vs. an MTO trying to conduct O-Tests.
Tell them your truth about drones in rail yards anyway you see fit.

This is our opportunity to advocate for ourselves and for each other.

SMART-TD has already put these concerns on the record. Now we need the voices of the membership to reaffirm them.

Please Submit your public comment to the FAA here:

Regulations.gov FAA Drones Public Comments

Together, we can finish the job.

There is a growing trend in America where wealthy political commentators and media personalities suddenly decide they are experts on railroading.

Steve Forbes did it.

The Washington Post editorial board did it.

Now, lifelong lobbyist and D.C. influencer Grover Norquist is doing it.

And every time they do, they prove the same thing. They don’t know jack about this industry, the people who work in it, or the dangers that come with it.

Rail safety is not optional for railroaders. It is life and death.

SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson explained that clearly earlier this year in his response to the Washington Post’s attack on the Railway Safety Act. Safety regulations exist because railroad corporations have repeatedly shown they will cut safety when it helps profits.

That is proven time and time again in the history of railroading in America.

Don’t Fake Your Qualifications On This Territory

This year, every few weeks, another outsider with no railroad experience decides to lecture railroad workers about what “real” rail safety should look like.

Grover Norquist’s recent Washington Times column is just the latest example.

Norquist completely misrepresented the federal two-person crew rule. He framed it as though unions are demanding railroads add extra workers onto trains and pass the cost onto consumers.

He accused rail unions of trying to enrich themselves by supporting the Railway Safety Act. Apparently, he misread his talking points from the AAR and thinks the RSA is trying to “ add a second crew member to freight trains that already operate safely with one.”

I guess he didn’t bother having someone with knowledge of railroading OR the bill itself proofread his article before publishing it.

His whole argument is that the union is pushing this bill so that overnight we will double our membership, and therefore our dues money. He is obviously a subject matter expert that we should all listen to and take notes!

As we all know, freight trains already operate with two-person crews every day across America. The Railway Safety Act does not add another crew member. It simply prevents the railroads from reducing crews to one person, or eventually none at all.

Don’t Talk East Palestine If You Don’t Understand It

Anyone who actually understands railroading knows crew size becomes critical when disaster strikes.

The train that derailed in East Palestine had a three-person crew. Those railroaders immediately secured the train, coordinated with dispatchers, helped establish evacuation zones, and protected first responders from walking into a hazardous materials disaster blind.

Compare that to Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, where a one-person crew operation ended in catastrophe. A runaway train exploded in the center of town, killing 47 people and destroying much of the community.

Crew size does not stop every derailment. But it absolutely affects what happens afterward. Railroaders and anyone else with common sense and no political agenda understand that.

Norquist also claimed automated track inspection technology is obviously superior to human inspection, treating the issue like it is a settled fact.

Again, this is what happens when outsiders pretend they know more than the people doing the work.

Track Inspection Is Not Where You Cut Corners

Automated Track Inspection, or ATI, can help inspect more track more quickly. Railroaders are not against this technology for that use.

But there is a difference between speed and quality.

When railroaders are riding equipment in the middle of the night with a lantern in one hand, paperwork and a radio in the other, they want to know the rail underneath them was inspected carefully by trained human beings, not just scanned quickly by a machine looking for major defects.

Because when that rail breaks, railroad workers are the ones who end up in the closed casket.

And here is the part Norquist ignored, or doesn’t know because he’s faking his qualifications:

Studies have shown ATI systems can miss up to 73% of the defects trained human inspectors are able to identify.

That is not “obviously better.” That is not “irrefutable.” That is a serious concern.

Technology should support track inspectors. Not replace them.

But railroad corporations want fewer workers because fewer workers mean lower labor costs. And too many of these media personalities with no railroad experience keep repeating those corporate talking points like they are facts.

Americans should ask themselves why so many wealthy commentators and editorial boards are suddenly so desperate to attack rail safety legislation.

The answer is simple:

Because they do not have to live with the consequences, and don’t know any better than to weigh in on shit they have no knowledge of.

Stay In Your Lane

Grover Norquist has spent decades in Washington politics. He grew up comfortably as the son of a corporate executive, went straight to Harvard, and built a career in political influencing and lobbying.

He is not a railroader.

And if he wants to avoid embarrassing himself, he should stop pretending he understands an industry he has clearly never experienced firsthand. Workplace safety means more than avoiding papercuts for us.

Railroaders will handle railroading.

In railroading, there are two distinct kinds of new hires.

The ones who succeed are the ones who keep their mouths shut, listen to the old heads, and respect that there’s a reason why things are done the way they’re done.

Then there’s the other guy. The ones who come in thinking they’re the smartest guy in the room, hitting you with the classic, “I know that,” or even “That’s dumb, we should do it this way.” Those are the new guys who wash out quick or get somebody hurt.

Right now, CSX CEO Steve Angel (with a whopping seven months in railroading behind him) is acting like the second kind.

Who Is Steve Angel?

Angel didn’t come up through the ranks. He’s not a railroader. He built his career in boardrooms, not on ballast. And yet from day one, he came in guns hot, changing operations, ignoring the workforce, and now even trying to influence what other railroads do with their business.

That’s not how our industry works.

“There’s a right way to learn this craft, and it starts with listening,” said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. “What we’re seeing right now is the opposite of that.”

Instead of focusing on the real issues like safety, customer service, and a workforce with worse morale than any other, Angel has CSX launching public campaigns against the proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern merger.

You’ve got to love that.

Fix Your Own House

CSX’s own train is in emergency, it’s all over the ground, and its CEO is worried about what the UP and NS are doing?

“CSX has real problems right now,” Ferguson said. “Our members, CSX customers, and the American economy would all be a hell of a lot better off if Mr. Angel focused on his own railroad instead of trying to play politics. If he was anybody else, he’d still be wearing his new hire hi-viz orange hat. It’s probably a good idea for him to focus on the task at hand.”

The reality on the ground at CSX tells a very different story than the one in its press releases.

Federal regulators have already flagged gaps in CSX’s safety culture. Workers are raising concerns at a pace that makes it clear things are not stable. Adding insult to injury, recent operating decisions are making matters worse, not better.

CSX Customers Are Now At Risk

The shutdown of Barr Yard in Chicago, a facility that handled around 1,400 cars a day, has created immediate problems. The plan to shift that work to short lines that can barely handle half that volume instantly led to backups, congestion, and ripple effects spreading across multiple states. The way Angel’s move in this situation is looking right now, it could easily back up traffic out of Chicago in every direction. You know you made a bad call when something you did in Chicago jams up the nation’s supply chain from New York City to Kansas, and even up into Canada.

That’s not innovation. That’s a misread of how a railroad works in real life. It might make sense on whatever AI simulator your “experts” ran it through, but any railroader in the Midwest who was around for a decade or so could tell you this doesn’t work when it goes from the drawing board to the rails. We’ve seen this kind of move fail more than once before.

This time, under Angel’s leadership, it’s already gotten so bad that the Surface Transportation Board (STB) should be looking into how it can help remedy the situation. Something needs to get fixed before we starve out our customers or lose them over this bad call.

“You don’t make anything better in railroading by tearing out capacity and hoping it works,” Ferguson said. “Progress comes from understanding why that capacity was put there in the first place.”

Why Is CSX Really Fighting the UP–NS Merger?

We all know that arrogance in a new hire ends badly on the rails and in the crew rooms. One of the classic trademarks of new managers hired off the street is that they tend to add a dash of hypocrisy to their arrogance to give it that unique Trainmaster feel.

Don’t worry, Angel is bringing plenty of that to CSX, too.

Angel is publicly positioning CSX as a defender against consolidation in the UP–NS merger fight. But his own career was built around large-scale corporate mergers, including leading the high-profile merger of Praxair and Linde.

He wasn’t hand-picked by ANCORA to run CSX because he opposes large-scale mergers. He was brought in after hedge fund pressure from investors who have been very clear about wanting big moves, including potential mergers.

So which is it, Steve?

Is he against consolidation, or just against the ones that don’t meet the likely conditions for his millions in stock performance bonuses, which are probably in his contract?

“You don’t build a career on mergers and then suddenly act like you’re against them,” Ferguson said. “That’s not principle. That’s playing to his self-serving agenda.”

Intentionally Out of Touch

Meanwhile, Angel hasn’t even taken the time to sit down with the largest union representing his workforce. SMART-TD tried, but the meeting never happened.

That sends a clear message, and not a good one.

“If you won’t even listen to the people who run your railroad every day, you’re not going to understand the problems you’re supposed to fix,” Ferguson said.

And those problems have definitely been growing since he took over in September of 2025.

CSX remains the only Class I railroad without a settled agreement or a tentative deal in place for workers. Service issues are mounting. Industries are getting cut off. Safety concerns are rising. The people doing the work are being ignored, furloughed, and forced to chase work across the country.

That’s not leadership. That’s a failure to engage.

You’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Railroading isn’t like any other industry. You don’t walk in from the outside and start rewriting the playbook. This craft has been built over more than 160 years through experience, trial and error, and lessons learned the hard way.

There are reasons things are done the way they’re done, and those reasons are often written in our blood.

The leaders who succeed in this industry understand that. They listen first. They learn. They earn the respect of the workforce.

Right now, Steve Angel is doing none of those things.

He’s acting like the new guy who thinks he knows better, while the railroad around him, his employees, and customers are feeling the consequences.

“This isn’t complicated,” Ferguson said. “Focus on safety. Respect your workforce. Run a good railroad. That’s how this industry has succeeded for generations.”

CSX doesn’t need a CEO campaigning about another railroad’s merger.

It needs one who understands the job he already has.

“Fix your own house,” Ferguson said. “That’s the job.”

SMART-TD leaders, members, and the public have been hit with a harsh reality this week. FRA is no longer on our side, and they aren’t even pretending to be a neutral party anymore. We all need to stop pretending.

After what we saw this week, there’s no gray area left. The FRA and DOT have abandoned their role as neutral referees and are no longer here to balance safety and business.

They’ve picked a side, and they are 100% on team Corporate Railroads.

In the last 48 hours, the FRA dropped 11 final rules that make one thing clear: they are clearing the path for the railroads to do whatever they want, free of guidance and oversight, with hardly any consequences and even fewer workers.

You don’t need to read between the lines to see this reality. It isn’t subtle. FRA is telling SMART-TD and every railroader that the risk to your well-being is worth it for the carriers’ profit.

In fact, Fink said that he “want[s] to see the industry thrive,” and his methodology for doing so is deregulation, noting during his speech that “the previous administration, there wasn’t really that much done on the deregulatory side.” Obviously, he plans to change that.

FRA Administrator Tells the World What He Thinks of Us

At a DOT technology event hosted at DOT headquarters on Tuesday, April 28, FRA Administrator David Fink made it as clear as possible that the goal is to push new tech out “as soon as practical.” According to a report from Bloomberg, it includes autonomous railcars, additional AI monitoring of employees, and systems designed to cut crews out of the picture altogether.

Fink, during his speech, specifically pointed to Parallel Systems (a company actively working to operate freight trains without human crews) as the kind of innovation they want to move forward with. Interestingly, however, is that Parallel Systems’ testing of its technology and equipment was approved under the last administration. The difference, however, is that the approval came with conditional safeguards to keep the railroad system and the public with which it intersects safe. FRA is now working to reverse that.

Let’s connect the dots

They’re rolling back the rules that protect us, while fast-tracking the technology most likely to maximize profits.

That’s not a coincidence. That’s the plan.

SMART-TD was supposed to be at that event. The Director and Deputy Director of SMART-TD’s National Safety and Legislative Department, Jared Cassity and Don Roach, were scheduled to be at the FRA’s technology demonstration on Tuesday.

They didn’t go.

After seeing what FRA pushed out as rulings in the days leading up to it, they made a point NOT to attend.

As Cassity said:

“We aren’t going to be at a party celebrating the FRA’s new path and plan to eliminate our members’ safety, rights, and ultimately their jobs.”

That’s exactly what it was. A celebration. A showcase of a future where railroads run with fewer people, less accountability, and more risk pushed onto whoever’s left standing and the American Public.

Roach and Cassity told SMART News they want to be clear about something. Their protest of Tuesday’s event wasn’t about being against technology.

It’s about what happens when you take trained railroaders out of the equation.

This job isn’t simple. It’s not predictable. It’s not something you hand off to a computer and walk away from.

We move hazmat. We move heavy tonnage through cities, towns, crossings, and yards every single day. Things go wrong. Conditions change. Decisions have to be made in real time on the fly.

That’s what we do.

And now they want to strip that down while also weakening the federal regulations that are supposed to keep everything in check.

Timing Isn’t Just Dumb, It’s Wreckless

Less than two weeks ago, on April 16, SMART News relayed to our rail members a Cybersecurity Alert that we received from the FRA.

This warning was issued by the exact federal agency that stood before a microphone on Tuesday and told the world that we want our freight trains to rely on the systems most vulnerable to bad actors. It’s unfathomable that both of these statements came from the same place, 12 days apart from each other.

We’re in a world where cyber threats are real and getting worse. Systems get hacked. Networks go down. Bad actors look for ways to disrupt critical infrastructure.

And what’s the response from FRA?

Tie more of the operation to software, automation, and remote systems. And while we’re at it, let’s remove the human beings who can actually respond when something breaks or intervene when systems get hacked.

Cybersecurity threats get more plentiful and complex all the time, but right now, Fink and the FRA are pushing for this move while we are in an active war with Iran. For obvious reasons, this underscores the need to be aware of cybersecurity in the rail industry.

Even outside the current global situation, Fink and the FRA are well aware that the railroads have not acted on urgent notices from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which has been warning of heightened cyber threats that require immediate attention.

The next time you are having a hard time staying awake, do a quick Google search of CISA and the warnings they have issued to the rail industry lately. You won’t be nodding off for a long time. Yet, in the face of all of this information about your safety and the safety of the public, the FRA is out there in a room full of press talking about how we should be in the 8^th notch going full speed ahead on turning control of the nation’s railroads over to the very automation he has been told is most vulnerable.

I suppose none of this matters to FRA or the Railroad Corporations hoping to free themselves of the burdens associated with safe train operations. We can’t forget the final ruling they just made on Monday. They addressed it by rewriting the regulatory enforcement process. Their new “prosecutorial discretion” policy means that if this ridiculous strategy is implemented on America’s rail network and inevitably results in disasters that put the public and the few railroaders left at risk, railroads can just negotiate their way out of violations (Final Rule FRA-2025-0077). No set penalties. Just legitimized backroom deals.

So, when something goes wrong, the companies won’t pay the price.

We will.

That’s the reality now more than ever.

The FRA isn’t pretending to balance safety and industry anymore. They’re helping the industry overcome its biggest obstacle: dealing with a trained workforce and following the rules and regulations that protect it.

You’re living this reality, and you know it better than anyone. The railroads don’t want to train us. They don’t want to pay us. And they definitely don’t want to be held accountable to anyone but themselves.

We, their employees, are the “problem” they’re trying to solve.

And now we know Administrator Fink (who, not surprisingly, was the CEO of a railroad in his past job) is now publicly pledging that the United States FRA is here to help them realize that vision of the future.

That was made clear on Tuesday.

What is the Railroad Retirement Fairness Act?

The Railroad Retirement Fairness Act isn’t just another bill in Washington. For railroaders and our families, it’s a chance to fix something that never should have been broken in the first place.

Right now, under current law, some railroad retirees and our spouses see our Tier II retirement benefits reduced if we keep working for the same non-railroad employer after retirement. That means money they already earned, over years and decades on the rails, (and putting up with a spouse who is on the rails,) can be taken away because of a technicality in federal law.

To our brothers and sisters who experience this every month, it’s like standing there and watching your wife get pick-pocketed by Uncle Sam, and not being able to do a thing about it.

That’s been the reality for too many railroad families for far too many years.

How does the Railroad Retirement Fairness Act Help Railroaders?

The Railroad Retirement Fairness Act puts a stop to these unfair penalties. This bill would make sure retirees and our spouses receive the full Tier II benefits we have all earned. We’re talking no penalties, no fine print, no games.

As it’s laid out in Senator Chris Coon’s Press release about the bill’s introduction to Congress.

The Railroad Retirement Fairness Act would:

Eliminate the arbitrary “last prior employer” deduction
Allow railroad retirees and their spouses to continue working in non-railroad jobs without losing earned retirement benefits
Ensure more equal treatment for retirees regardless of where they choose to work in retirement

Obviously, it will be good in our current economy to see our take-home income on the rise, but this is about more than just numbers on a check.

The Family Sacrifice Behind Tier II Benefits

Railroading isn’t a normal job. It never has been. The long hours, the missed holidays, the constant calls, the stress. We all know what it takes. But we also know we don’t do it alone.

Our spouses live this life right along with us.

They’re the ones who adjust their schedules. They’re the ones who pick up the slack at home. They’re the ones explaining to the kids that Santa is going to come a day early this year because Mom or Dad is going to be at the away-from-home terminal on the 25th.

In a lot of cases, being married to a railroader with our lack of stable schedules also means that our spouses alter their career paths to make sure someone is available to cover the basics on the home front. They might take part-time work or leave the fast track to maintain schedule flexibility, or work from home. A lot of our spouses end up having to leave the workforce altogether for these reasons.

Brass tax is that the 401K’s and pensions that many of our spouses would have otherwise been in line for were sacrificed to make it so we could answer a 2-hour call to work at the drop of a hat for 3 decades.

Tier II benefits are part of how that sacrifice is recognized. It’s not just retirement. It’s compensation for a lifetime of putting family plans second to the railroad, and it is an acknowledgment that our wives and husbands have not been given an opportunity to work untethered in their own careers.

Anyone who’s been married to one of us long enough to qualify for Tier II benefits has sure as hell earned them.

So when those benefits get reduced just because a spouse chooses to work after we have hit retirement, (and everything they’ve already given,) it is plain wrong.

The current rule can force retirees and spouses to leave jobs they want to keep or switch employers, simply to avoid losing benefits they earned. In many cases, it discourages our retirees and their spouses from working at all.

That’s why this bill matters. It’s how we finally do something about it and stop being forced to watch our spouse get robbed by the government every month, or have their job take a backseat to the railroad one last time.

United Front With Bipartisan Support

SMART-TD is proud to announce the leaders who stepped up to make this happen. They are Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Chris Coons (D-DE), along with Representatives Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chris Deluzio (D-PA).

Two Republicans. Two Democrats.

That’s not by chance. That’s the path SMART-TD has been building for years. Railroad issues aren’t partisan, and we like to keep it that way.

These Representatives and Senators have taken the time to listen. They’ve worked with SMART-TD on rail safety, quality of life, and retirement issues for long enough that they understand our issues and our values.

And they know this much for sure. Railroaders will put up with a lot. But we’re not going to sit quietly while our families get short-changed.

A Matter of Respect

Providing for our families and having something solid at the end of a long career are the two main reasons we stick with this life. When that gets chipped away, it hits home.

The Railroad Retirement Fairness Act is about putting a stop to that.

Fairness is the word they used in the bill title, but it just as easily could have been Respect. It’s about both, and after decades on the rail, we have earned them.

On April 13, 2026, SMART-TD’s General Committee of Adjustment (GCA) 457 reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with the CPKC Railway covering members in the Central and Southern Regions. This agreement represents years of work to secure strong wages, protect benefits, and improve quality of life for our members.

Ballots will be mailed to all eligible SMART-TD members of GCA 457 beginning April 29, 2026. Voting will remain open through May 21, 2026, and will be conducted by BallotPoint. This is the same secure and trusted election service used in previous national and carrier-specific agreement votes.

An 8-Year Agreement with Industry-Leading Gains

This Tentative Agreement spans eight years, making it three years longer than the standard “pattern” agreements reached at other carriers across other crafts in the rail industry. This extended term provides long-term stability, predictability, and sustained wage growth for our membership.

One of the most significant highlights is a 32.5% General Wage Increase (GWI) over the life of the agreement. The first increase is effective July 1, 2025, with continued increases each year through 2033, steadily raising pay rates across all classifications.

If ratified by GCA 457 membership, the general wage increase will be retroactive to July 1, 2025.

Protection of Benefits and Core Agreements

The TA protects the National Health and Welfare plan for both current and future members. GCA 457 General Chairperson, Sam Habjan, pointed out just how critical priority is in today’s bargaining environment. It also reaffirms crew consist protections, maintaining the integrity of our agreements and preserving jobs.

Quality of Life Improvements

In addition to a 32.5% wage gain, this agreement includes meaningful improvements to members’ quality of life:

Scheduled Rest: All employees, including extra boards and pool service, will receive at least two consecutive rest days each workweek.
Held Away Pay: Members held away from their home terminal will receive continuous pay after 16 hours, improving compensation during extended delays.
Meal Allowances: Additional meal payments are provided when tied up away from home.
Personal Leave Improvements: Enhanced personal leave structure, with up to 12 days based on years of service, while protecting all existing entitlements.

Earnings and Work Opportunities

The agreement establishes clear pay structures and predictable earnings potential across multiple work schedules, including 5×2, 6×2, and 4×3 assignments. These structures provide members with the ability to plan their work-life balance while benefiting from increased compensation over time.

Guaranteed Extra Board provisions and alternative work opportunities, such as Alternate Training Status (ATS), also provide income stability during periods of reduced service.

Work Rule and Contract Improvements

Additional provisions in the TA include:

Defined basic day and overtime rules, ensuring overtime compensation after 10 hours of service
Improved claim handling and discipline timelines, reducing delays in resolving issues
Clear rules governing job assignments, bidding, and scheduling under a 7-day mark system

Vacation qualifications and usage have also been clarified, allowing members greater flexibility, including the ability to take vacation in single-day increments.

What methods will be used for voting

Packets mailed on April 29th will include personalized 12-digit access codes and instructions for dial-in telephonic voting. In the following week, text message and email reminders will be sent out to all eligible members who have not yet voted. Those electronic messages will include links to vote using a secure web-based portal.

When will voting end? How soon will we see the results?

Our 21-day ratification will close on Thursday, May 21, at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Results will be announced the following morning.

Is it true that if I abstain from voting, my vote is automatically counted as a vote to “ACCEPT”?

Despite this being completely false, the rumor circulates every time we have a tentative agreement. Every vote is important, and only the votes cast will get counted, so don’t miss your opportunity!

What should I do if I don’t receive a ballot in the mail?

In most cases, this happens when members fail to update SMART-TD with their current home address. Occasionally, there are delays with USPS. If you still haven’t received your ballot by the second week of May, please contact us by calling (620) 704-5384, or by sending an email to: smarttdgca457@gmail.com

A Step Forward and a Voice for Every Member

We sincerely hope that our members recognize the value and importance of this TA and the hard work that went into arriving at this point. In any case, we encourage all members to vote and make your voice heard.

We also encourage all members to review the full TA, which can be found here and forward any questions they have to their Local Chairperson and/or General Chairperson. It is important to cast an informed and educated vote!

South Portland, Maine — For many railroaders, the instinct is simple. We handle problems in-house, look out for one another, and keep the operation moving as safely as possible with the equipment and conditions we’re given. It’s part of the culture. But when systemic safety failures go unaddressed, they stop being just workplace issues. They become public safety risks.

You don’t have to take the union’s word for it. You can always ask the people of East Palestine, Ohio.

SMART-TD’s Local 1400 out of Rigby Yard in South Portland, Maine, is at the point where they can’t bite their tongues about the safety conditions they and the people of South Portland are facing.

Critical Safety Gaps Put Workers in Danger

A major freight hub now operated by CSX, Rigby Yard has long been the subject of serious safety concerns dating back to its days under Pan Am. All these years have gone by with Pan Am and CSX being aware of these problems, but somehow our brothers and sisters are still dealing with them. Most of their safety reports have not brought about improvements and conditions have gotten even more urgent.

Among the most troubling issues reported by union members:

The absence of dedicated yardmasters, despite the size and complexity of the yard
The critical “man down” safety system for remote control locomotive (RCO) operations that isn’t assigned to be monitored by anyone
Employees working under conflicting rule systems (GCOR and NORAC), with some being disciplined under rules they are not even qualified in
Terminal managers lacking proper rule qualifications while simultaneously performing multiple safety-critical roles
Failures to communicate hot box detector alerts to incoming crews
A serious incident involving a pedestrian strike where CSX never actually responded and the crew was not provided Critical Incident protocol.

Individually, each of these issues raises serious red flags. All put together, they paint a picture of a terminal operating without the safety redundancies that railroaders (and the public) depend on.

Running Plays Without a Quarterback

The lack of yardmasters stands out as a glaring example of the problems at Rigby. Yardmasters are not just coordinators of efficiency; they are central to safe operations, ensuring trains are properly routed, movements don’t conflict, and hazards are addressed in real time. In a yard like Rigby, where freight traffic intersects with busy main lines, involving freight and passenger trains, the absence of that oversight is a hell of a lot more risky than the average “corporate staffing decision.”

The failure to monitor the RCO “man down” feature is another unacceptable and unexplainable gap. This system exists for one reason: if a railroader goes down and cannot respond, help must be dispatched immediately. In an environment where being on the ground normally means something has gone terribly wrong, ignoring those alerts is not an option.

And our risks don’t stay inside the yard.

Railroad safety failures have consequences that reach far beyond the right-of-way. Communities, families, and entire regions can be affected when warning signs are ignored. That’s why the concerns at Rigby Yard have drawn attention not only from our members, but from local residents in South Portland who have organized around the issue. They see what’s happening. And they understand the stakes.

Speaking Out Is Key to Preventing the Next Tragedy

SMART-TD members in Local 1400, along with Chris Lawrence the Chair of their General Committee and Dave Stevenson, our New England Safety and Legislative Director, have taken those concerns beyond the yard limits. They are taking them directly to policymakers. That effort recently led to a significant development.

The former Senate President for the State of Maine and current gubernatorial candidate, Troy Jackson attended a Local 1400 meeting to hear firsthand from the men and women working in these conditions every day.

It matters because when decision-makers take the time to listen directly to railroaders. The conversation changes. The reality of the job, the risks, the responsibilities, and the consequences become clear in a way they just don’t from a report or a briefing alone.

Jackson’s background advocating for working people in another dangerous industry of logging, shaped his response. He didn’t just hear our concerns. He engaged with them. And because SMART-TD members and leaders made the effort to bring him into that room, the situation at Rigby Yard will now factor into his decisions in ways it otherwise wouldn’t have.

That’s the lesson here.

Railroaders pride ourselves on handling our own problems. But when those problems rise to the level of public safety, we have a responsibility to go further. To speak up. To involve our communities. To bring in local, state, and federal leaders who have the power to demand change.

It doesn’t matter who holds office. What matters is that they understand what’s at stake.

And that only happens when we make our voices heard.

Senate President/Maine Gubernatorial Candidate Troy Jackson, seated front and center (in a baseball hat and vest) with SMART-TD Local 1400 at their April local meeting,

Local 1400 Leading From the Front

Our brothers and sisters of Local 1400, along with their legislative representatives, have set the example. They’ve taken some serious and long-standing safety issues and put them where they belong. That’s in the public eye, and on the desks of people who can no longer ignore them.

At the end of the day, this isn’t just about one rail yard in Maine.

It’s about every railroader who deserves to go home safe.
It’s about every community that trusts us to operate responsibly.
And it’s about making sure the next preventable tragedy never happens.

On April 20, 2026, a bipartisan group of United States Senators sent a letter to Congress supporting increased funding for the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB). At first glance, that may sound like another routine action in Washington, but it’s something that all railroaders should pay attention to.

This letter is about something that is very direct: making sure railroaders can actually access the benefits we have already paid for.

In the letter, the senators ask for the RRB to receive $185 million in administrative funding for Fiscal Year 2027. This is a big increase from their 2026 budget, but this is not a request for new benefits or new programs. It is about allowing the system to work for US.

The Railroad Retirement Board is different from most other systems. Railroaders do not rely on Social Security or standard state unemployment programs. Instead, we pay into our own system, which provides retirement, disability, unemployment, and sickness benefits. We take care of ourselves and each other in-house without taxpayer dollars. Our forefathers in rail labor set it up this way so we can control our own destiny.

That means the 2027 funding request is not about asking the government for more money in the usual sense. It is about allowing the RRB to use the money that railroaders have already contributed.

The Truth: RRB is Under Strain

The Senators laid out the real problems facing the RRB. Disability claims are taking an average of 14 months to process. Outdated technology is slowing everything down. Staffing shortages are making it harder for the agency to keep up. A large portion of the workforce is nearing retirement, which could make things significantly worse.

For railroaders and their families, this isn’t just a policy issue. It means long waits during some of the most difficult times in our lives. After an injury, during an illness, or when work is unavailable, is not when we should get let down by a system that we pay a significant amount of money every month.

The fact that these U.S. Senators see us and get why we’re angry is why this letter matters.

It also matters because of who stood behind it.

Votes Not Quotes

SMART-TD wants to thank this bipartisan group of United States Senators who came together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as leaders who are standing With Us in support of railroaders and our families. Those Senators are:

Amy Klobuchar (W-MN)
Josh Hawley (W-MO)
Roger Marshall (W-KS)
Bernie Sanders (W-VT)
Chris Van Hollen (W-MD)
Edward Markey (W-MA)
Tammy Duckworth (W-IL)
Andy Kim (W-NJ)
Ruben Gallego (W-AZ)
Tina Smith (W-MN)
Cory Booker (W-NJ)
Richard Durbin (W-IL)
Richard Blumenthal (W-CT)
Tim Kaine (W-VA)
Angela Alsobrooks (W-MD)

In this moment, each of them is standing up for railroaders. They are standing up for the retirees who more than earned their pensions, the injured worker navigating disability, and the furloughed conductor waiting on unemployment benefits. They are standing up for the principle that railroaders should not have to fight to access our own money.

This Support Is Not A Coincidence

It comes from years of work by SMART-TD members, State Safety and Legislative Boards, and our Local Legislative Representatives who have taken the time to educate lawmakers and share real experiences from the field.

It also reflects a deliberate approach.

As an organization, SMART-TD has focused on building relationships based on issues instead of politics. That means sitting down with anyone willing to listen and focusing on what matters most, the needs of our members.

This bipartisan letter is a direct result of that approach.

It is a reminder that when we stay focused and engaged, we can build support in places where it might not have existed before. And more importantly, we can help ensure that the system railroaders depend on continues to serve us the way it should.

This should not be complicated.

Railroaders paid into this system.
We earned these benefits.

It’s our money!
We deserve to access it without delay, and without having to ask Congress permission to take care of our own.

RRB Senate Letter for FY27 Download

SMART General President Michael Coleman brought the voice of every member of our union directly into a high-level conversation on Capitol Hill last week. On Wednesday, April 15, General President Coleman got the opportunity to address the Congressional Labor Caucus on the real issues facing working people in our industries.

The Congressional Labor Caucus, formed in 2020, has quickly become one of the most effective groups in the U.S. House focused on workers’ rights. This group of lawmakers from all over the country is united by a simple goal: finding practical solutions for American workers. Their growing influence and their willingness and ability to work across party lines made this a powerful opportunity for SMART to be heard.

GP Coleman Highlights the Role SMART Members Play Across the US

Coleman began his remarks by making it clear who we are as a union. Whether through sheet metal work that ensures safe buildings and clean air or through Transportation Division members operating freight trains, Amtrak, transit systems, and buses from coast to coast, SMART members build and maintain critical infrastructure and keep the country moving.

From there, he got straight to the issues affecting more than 230,000 workers across the United States and Canada.

Rail Safety Concerns Front and Center

Coleman didn’t hold back on the issue of rail safety. Three years after the East Palestine derailment, he told lawmakers that serious risks remain unaddressed and that his members are still facing unnecessary dangers day in and day out. Longer trains, reduced inspections, disabled wayside defect detectors, and pressure to cut crew sizes are all contributing to a system where more than 1,000 derailments still occur each year.

“This is unacceptable by any transportation standard,” was the clear message.

But Coleman didn’t just identify the problem. He laid out exactly what Congress can do to fix it for us. Coleman asked them to pass comprehensive rail safety legislation, maintain minimum crew sizes, and strengthen federal oversight and enforcement, closing loopholes and shedding light on the blind spots Railroad Corporations use to skirt federal regulations. It was a direct, solutions-focused approach that didn’t leave any guesswork about the path forward.

Transit Safety NOW, Not Later

Coleman also highlighted the growing crisis facing transit workers across the country. Violence on buses and transit systems is rising, and too many workers are left without the protections they need. He called on Congress to establish national safety standards, invest in protective infrastructure, and enforce stronger penalties for assaults on transit workers. He pointed out that multiple pieces of legislation are in front of Congress right now that will move the needle in this direction and noted that if lawmakers are serious about their support for the safety of American workers, these bills TD has gotten to the Hill are how they can act on it.

Congressman Mark Pocan (Wisconsin 2nd District) and Co-Chairperson of the Congressional Labor Caucus, SMART Union General President, Michael Coleman

Everyone Has Problems. Few Have Solutions.

Both SMART-TD’S National Safety & Legislative Director and Deputy Director, Jared Cassity and Don Roach, were in the room with the GP for these important conversations.

“I was proud of the representation GP Coleman gave our Transportation Division members,” Cassity said. “It was clear to everyone there that he understands the safety challenges our rail and bus members face every day. He spoke with authority, and he made sure our issues were heard.”

Roach described the moment as something unique.

“To have a group of lawmakers who are committed to labor all in one room, and then to walk them through exactly how they can help our members today, and why it matters to the country, was something to see,” Roach said. “He gave them not just the problems, but a clear plan to act on.”

While the discussion included key Transportation Division priorities, Coleman also strongly advocated for SMART’s sheet metal members, reinforcing the need for policies that support good-paying union jobs, strong apprenticeship programs, training standards, and safe, high-quality, union-built infrastructure in communities across the country.

Significance that Cannot be Overstated

The Congressional Labor Caucus has built a reputation for producing results. Its members are engaged, coordinated, and focused on advancing pro-worker policies. For SMART to be invited to speak to this group is a clear sign that our union is viewed as a leader in today’s labor movement.

That distinction belongs to every member.

From the General President’s office to the newest hires in rail yards and bus garages across the country, SMART’s strength comes from our people. The work done every day by our members is what has built the credibility that opens doors like this for our organization.

Your reputation and professionalism created this moment where our union’s voice carried weight in a room full of decision-makers. A moment where real solutions were put on the table and a moment that showed, once again, that when SMART speaks, Washington listens.