Author: dbanks

Home>Articles by: dbanks

ALERT: Possible Barr Yard Closure Threatens Jobs and National Supply Chain

I’m reaching out with a story developing on Chicago’s South Side that threatens a critical freight rail hub in Chicago, which would lead to job loss, weakened supply chain efficiency, and create a negative economic ripple effect, both in Chicago and nationwide.

At the center is Barr Yard in Riverdale, IL. Recent actions by CSX Transportation signal a possible shutdown as early as June, and the company has already begun rerouting significant freight traffic away from the yard, resulting in a drastic reduction in available work and job loss at Barr Yard.

SMART-Transportation Division, the union representing workers at the yard, warns that this situation mirrors a previous CSX traffic shift that caused major rail bottlenecks nationwide. Concerns are mounting that the carrier is repeating a strategy that previously failed while attempting to avoid accountability by stonewalling transparency to the workers who provide this critical infrastructure service in the freight rail industry.

The closure of Barr Yard would have serious implications in the area and beyond, including:

Immediate job loss: Family-wage union positions are being eliminated, and workers are unable to follow their jobs due to different union agreements at other rail yards.

National supply chain speed reduction: Prior attempts to reroute this volume of freight have led to congestion stretching across the national rail network.

Public safety concerns: Increased train congestion and blocked crossings could delay emergency response times across the region.

If you’re interested, I can connect you with the union representatives monitoring this issue as it is developing, and provide additional context on the Collective Bargaining obligations CSX may not be meeting, as well as the impact this closure would have in Chicago’s South Side neighborhoods.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

SMART-TD Union

news_TD@smart-union.org

(216) 277-5283 (Office)

Following a newly issued cybersecurity warning from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), SMART-TD is alerting all members across both freight and passenger rail operations of what they need to know.  

The alert highlights a credible threat from Iranian state-affiliated cyber actors targeting railroad systems by attempting to access internet-connected industrial control devices used throughout rail operations.

What Risk Does Iran Pose to the U.S. Rail System?

According to the FRA, these foreign actors are specifically targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs). These are the behind-the-scenes computer systems that help control critical railroad infrastructure.

If compromised, these systems could be manipulated or disabled, potentially causing service disruptions, or in the worst case, interfering with the safe movement of our trains.

Federal officials also warn that attackers are scanning for exposed systems across the internet, looking for any vulnerabilities they can exploit. This means they are not just targeting one railroad or one type of equipment. This table, provided by the FRA, lays out some of their largest concerns.

Why This Matters to Railroaders

While much of this technology operates in the background, the impact of a cyber incident would be felt directly by the operating crews.

Railroaders are the last line of defense when something doesn’t look, feel, or operate the way it should out there. Keeping that in mind, we encourage you to read over the table of potential issues the FRA released today. Please include discussions of what this warning means on your territory as part of your crew’s job briefings.

The idea that our signals, crossing gates, drawbridges, ventilation in tunnels, and even our braking systems have been flagged as targets of cybercriminals is not something any of us can afford to blow off.

History has taught us that critical infrastructure like railroads often becomes a high-priority target during times of global unrest. With technology becoming more integrated into daily operations, the importance of our situational awareness only increases.

Stay Alert

This is not about creating alarm or inciting panic.  As a union, we want to reach out and reinforce the habits that already make railroaders the safest professionals in the industry.

SMART-TD encourages members to:

  • Pay attention to your train and onboard systems
    If something PTC/Trip Optimizer/Leader is telling you doesn’t match up with what you’re seeing out the windshield, take the time to verify and ensure safe operation.
  • Stay aware of your surroundings
    Pay attention to anything unusual in yards, crew rooms, or along the right-of-way.
  • Watch for unfamiliar individuals or activity
    Especially anyone attempting to access restricted areas, equipment, or railroad-issued devices.
  • Protect your equipment
    Keep tablets, radios, and other devices secure and within your control.
  • Report anything suspicious
    Whether it’s unusual behavior, unfamiliar devices, or system irregularities, we need to report it through the proper channels.
  • TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
    Railroaders are trained to recognize when something isn’t right. That judgment matters. Please don’t ignore or second-guess yourself out there.

The Crew Is Still in Charge

Automation and digital systems play a major role in modern railroading, but they do not replace the judgment and responsibility of the crew.

If systems were to fail or behave erratically, it is the professionalism, training, and awareness of railroaders that keep trains moving safely.

Now is a good time to think through the basics that have always kept us safe.

  • What would you need if onboard systems became unavailable?
  • Do you have access to critical paperwork, including hazmat information?
  • Are you prepared to operate safely using your training and experience alone?

Railroaders have always adapted and overcome challenges. This moment is no different.

Looking Out for Each Other

Railroading has always been about teamwork and accountability.

This alert is a reminder that real safety doesn’t come from technology, no matter what the corporate guys say. As it turns out, Labor contributes to both Rail Safety and Profits. When you boil it down, safety has and will always come from the people who operate and protect this industry every day.

Stay alert. Stay professional. And continue doing what railroaders have always done best.

Looking out for each other and keeping America moving safely.

For years, our members working the Norfolk Southern main lines between Dalton and Lindale, Ga. (mileposts 32 through 84) have been dealing with something no railroader should ever have to tolerate: repeated, targeted, racially motivated harassment over company radio channels.

This isn’t a one-time incident. This has been happening for three years, and Norfolk Southern has known about it for just as long.

An unknown individual with access to NS narrowband radio frequencies has been singling out African American crew members and broadcasting racist, hateful garbage over the air. When crews try to escape it by switching to Channel Two, the designated emergency backup, the individual follows them over.

That tells us one thing loud and clear:
This person knows the system.

We Deal With Enough Already

Railroaders already have enough people on our backs.

We answer to…

  • Managers
  • Dispatchers
  • Crew Callers
  • A system that controls our time, our rest, and too often, our lives at home

We deal with enough pressure, enough stress, and enough uncertainty.

We don’t need this.

This added layer of harassment, this targeted, racist abuse, is not acceptable by SMART-TD standards.

Is “Safety First” Just a Phrase?

To their credit, Norfolk Southern did make one attempt to block the radio transmissions from the mysterious radio. At least that is what we were told, but they failed.

We were also told there is a reliable system that would stop this individual from continuing his harassment, but it’s “too expensive.”

That tells SMART-TD everything we need to know.

Because in this industry, we are constantly told one thing: Distractions are the enemy of safety.

Yet for three years, this company has allowed crews to endure harassment in the most disgusting, degrading ways imaginable, while operating trains carrying thousands of tons of hazardous materials through communities across Georgia.

Crews are angry.
Crews are distracted.
Crews are human.

And Norfolk Southern has allowed it to continue.

Georgia North Subdivision: Ignored, Dismissed, Endangered

On April 12 at Milepost 84 in Lindale Ga., a SMART-TD crew experienced the same kind of racist tirade, this time with a Norfolk Southern Trainmaster listening in real time. You might think this is where the company would step in and put an end to this, but you would be dead wrong.

The manager’s response wasn’t to find out who it was, issue an order to clear the channel, or even to tell him that he was committing a crime prosecutable by the FCC. Instead, he decided to go with a joke about how “They must have let that guy out of jail,” and move on with his day.

The crew was obviously shaken and distracted, but they did the professional thing and it was decided that they were not in the right mental state to safely operate and decided to stop and request a recrew. This was the safest course of action, as decided by the only two people whose opinion mattered in that moment.

They started to slow down the train, preparing to stop at a convenient crossing for a crew swap, and toned up the dispatcher. Before they could talk to her, the TM had jumped over to the dispatch channel and wanted to know what was going on.

The crew explained that they were mentally shaken by what they had just gone through and that they felt it was not safe for them to continue on their run. Their manger’s response was the added insult to injury for our guys.

“Do you have a signal on your PTC?”

When he was told they did, he ordered:

“Keep that train going!”

Once the dispatcher answered, our engineer explained the situation to her and expressed that it was his professional opinion that the safest course was to recrew the train. While they were explaining their situation to the dispatcher, the trainmaster, who was still on the dispatch channel, asked for a side conversation with the dispatcher on the phone. After the dispatcher had her talk with him, the crew got to speak with her again. All she could say to our guys was, “I’m sorry for what you went through, but do not stop that train.”

Let that sink in.

A crew clearly states they are not safe to operate, and they are told to move anyway.

SMART-TD’s Response: We Are Done Waiting

SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson has had enough.

“For three years, our members have been subjected to racist abuse over company channels while Norfolk Southern drags its feet and counts the cost. Let me be clear. If the company doesn’t have the guts to stop this, then by God, SMART-TD will. We are done waiting.”

As of this morning, President Ferguson announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the individual responsible.

Ferguson went on to say, “The goal is simple: Find them. Charge them. Hold them accountable, including FCC violations for interference with interstate commerce.”

Leadership Speaks Out

Gregory J. Glenn, Local Chairperson and 2nd GCA Vice Chairperson, made it clear:

“No employee should be subjected to racism in the workplace, and no crew should be forced to operate a train when they have said it is unsafe. These are not gray areas. Norfolk Southern has failed on both counts, and that failure ends now.”

Kelvin Hill, Safety and Legislative Director for Local  1245, spoke directly for the crews:

“Our members have been reporting this for years. Some stopped reporting because nothing was done. That’s what happens when a company shows you it won’t stand up for you. But SMART-TD will. We’re standing up now, and we’re not backing down.”

President Ferguson also had strong words regarding the handling of the Lindale incident:

“Telling a crew to ‘keep it moving’ after they’ve been hit with racist abuse and say they’re not safe is beyond unacceptable. That lack of leadership puts our lives at risk, and those of every man, woman, and child who live and work in the towns we roll through. It’s plain and simple.”

A Pattern of Neglect

As Brother Hill pointed out, over the past three years, these incidents have become so common that some crews stopped reporting them altogether.

Why?

Because they knew the answer they’d get:
“Take it on the chin. Move your train. Get over it.”

That is not acceptable.
Not now. Not ever.

This Ends Now

SMART-TD is putting its money where its mouth is.

A $10,000 reward stands for information leading to charges against the individual responsible.

We will find them.
We will hold them accountable.
And we will make an example out of them.

Because this isn’t just about words, it’s about safety and whether we are the brotherhood we claim to be.

A distracted crew can miss a crossing. A distracted crew can take a turnout too fast. A distracted crew can run a work zone.

People get hurt. People get fired. People die.

Railroading is not a game.

We Stand Together

Railroaders are a family.

We live a life that most people will never understand.
We depend on each other.
We look out for each other.

We do not tolerate hate. And we sure as hell don’t ignore it when one of our own is under attack.

The railroad does enough damage to our mental well-being as it is.

We will not allow that damage to come from within our own ranks, or from someone abusing the system meant to keep us safe.

This is about human decency.
This is about professionalism.
And above all this is about safety.

If Norfolk Southern won’t fix it, SMART-TD will.

Contact: Local Chair, Greg Glenn: gglennsmart1245@gmail.com, or Leg. Rep. Kelvin Hill: kelvin0738@yahoo.com with any information you have that will help in this cause, and for details on how to collect the reward money President Ferguson is putting up.

Ask Chat GPT how long trains are, and you’ll probably get an answer that’s nearly identical this:

“For U.S. Class I railroads, average freight train length isn’t a single fixed number, but industry data and railroad reports generally put it in this range:

  • Typical average: about 5,000 to 7,500 feet (roughly 0.95 to 1.4 miles)
  • Trend in recent years: increasing toward 7,000–8,500 feet as railroads run longer trains for efficiency
  • Some railroads (like BNSF and Union Pacific) often report averages on the higher end of that range
    It varies by commodity and territory:
  • Intermodal trains: often shorter, faster
  • Bulk (coal, grain, ore): longer, sometimes exceeding 10,000 feet
    So if you had to summarize it cleanly:
    👉 Most Class I freight trains today average around 1 to 1.5 miles long, with a clear trend toward longer consists.”

That’s what shows up in Google and AI. That’s what lawmakers see. That’s what regulators see and what reporters see when they are looking for stats to include in their articles.

Even if those averages were “true,” that doesn’t help the crew on the 16,000-footer.

You’re the ones out there running these trains. You know what they really look like. You know how long and heavy they are. And you know that what the average is doesn’t tell the real story of what is going on with train length.

Because the problem isn’t whether the “average” train is 6,000 feet or 7,500 feet.

The problem is that trains are being run far beyond 15,000 feet, and longer, every day.

Maybe the best part of this quote is the “insight” provided about the long coal and grain trains versus the tiny stack or intermodal versions.
That one claim tells you everything you need to know about how misleading the public information can be.

And that’s not an accident.

How Railroads Shape Train Length Statistics Online

Chat GPT, Google Gemini, and whatever other AI bots are out there informing the world about our realities don’t make this stuff up on their own. They reflect what information is available in public records, public statements, and press clippings.

The railroads control the numbers. They control what gets reported. They control what shows up in studies, in news stories, and now in search engines and AI answers. These bots don’t create a warped perception; they just reflect how twisted the public’s perception really is. It’s like the back of a Highlights Magazine that the railroads are selling as a legitimate picture.

And one of the easiest ways to shape the narrative is by focusing on “averages.”

Because averages smooth everything out. They hide the extremes. They make the situation sound normal, manageable, and safe. But the reality you’re dealing with isn’t an average; it’s the upper end.

It’s the trains that keep getting longer, heavier, and harder to handle.

It’s the ones that push the limits of infrastructure, braking systems, and crew safety.

Then, when SMART-TD pushes for regulations saying the railroads need to give the FRA and Congress real data on actual train lengths (not just averages) they turn around and say:

“We don’t track that.”
“It’s too hard.”
“We don’t have the resources.”

But somehow, when it’s time to fight us in Congress or in the statehouses, they suddenly have these manufactured numbers and “averages” ready to pull out.

And those numbers get repeated so often that they start to be used to fact-check each other.

Meanwhile, you’re out there running 15,000-foot trains, which are the biggest safety concerns. And those are the ones that get left out of the conversation.

History We DON’T Want to Repeat

The Guinness World Record for the longest freight train is about 4.6 miles.

Think about that.

That used to be a one-time, headline-making event done as a spectacle or publicity stunt.

Now ask yourself how far off is that from what you’re seeing every day?

These railroads are asking us to push the laws of physics to the breaking point every day. This is why we need your help.

SMART-TD’s Safety and Legislative Department are fighting for laws right now to limit train lengths. We’re taking this fight to Congress, to state houses, and to the media. And we are up against a wall of bad information.

We need the truth from the people who actually do the job.

 What are the real lengths you’re running?
 What are the real weights?
 What are the real car counts?

Send us proof:

  • Pictures of your timebooks (with train info)
  • Redacted work orders showing cars, length, and tonnage
  • Screenshots from your tablet (if allowed)

We don’t need guesses or what you remember. We need real numbers we can point to in committee hearings.

This is how we push back. This is how we show lawmakers what’s actually happening. This is how we break through the noise the railroads are putting out there.

They’ve got their version of the story.

Now it’s time to let the facts speak for themselves.

The railroads have always been good at spitting on us and telling us it’s raining. We can’t let their fake news dictate our reality on this one.

People making decisions about this industry need to see exactly what you’re dealing with, straight from you. Please give us the ammo needed to win this fight.

You can help by sending the requested information to dbanks@smart-union.org. As always, we will go out of our way to make sure nothing will get put out in public that is traceable to any railroader.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Maryland Senate Advances Two-Person Crew Bill, Putting Rail Safety First

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 4, 2026) — Maryland Senate leadership announced its intent to advance Two-Person Crew (2-PC) rail safety legislation to Governor Wes Moore’s desk, marking a major victory for the safety of workers and communities across the state.

The bill is expected to move out of the Senate Finance Committee and pass the full chamber ahead of the legislative session’s close.

Driven by months of grassroots advocacy, the effort was led by SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) members who testified, met with lawmakers, and pushed for action in Annapolis.

This legislation is rooted in a simple principle: protecting lives.

With rail lines crossing nearly every corner of Maryland, requiring a minimum of two qualified crew members on freight trains is a common-sense safety measure designed to prevent disasters and protect both rail workers and the public.

This is not about any one union. It is about the safety and well-being of every Marylander.

Member-Led Effort Delivers Results

Following the model of previous legislative victories in the state, including Maryland’s landmark 2025 transit worker assault law, SMART-TD members played the decisive role in moving this bill forward.

Maryland State Safety and Legislative Director David Pendleton, in his second year in the role, credited the union’s membership and local leadership. “This was a total team effort,” Pendleton said. “Our members showed up. They made the calls, they gave testimony, and they carried the message. I witnessed top to bottom incredible leadership from our local officers across Maryland. In our office, Tom Cahill and Brittany Garris were sensational and Nationally, Brother Directors Cassity and Roach went above and beyond to make sure we had all of the support we needed to deliver this to our members! I could not be more proud of what everyone accomplished together.”

National Leadership and Support

SMART-TD National Safety and Legislative Director Jared Cassity emphasized the importance of unity across the organization. “What happened in Maryland is exactly what this union is built to do,” Cassity said. “When our members organize, when local leadership steps up, and when we work together across every level of this union, we can move mountains. This legislation will save lives, plain and simple.”

Deputy National Safety and Legislative Director Don Roach, who until recently served as Michigan State Safety and Legislative Director, highlighted both the challenge and significance of Pendleton’s leadership. “I know firsthand the pressure that comes with this job,” Roach said. “You’re responsible for your members, your state, and the safety of the public, and you’re often stepping into big shoes.”

Roach noted that Pendleton took over the role following longtime Maryland SLD Larry Kasecamp. “David came into this position with a lot on his shoulders, tremendous pressure to build upon the foundation that Larry laid, ” Roach continued. “In a very short time, he has made a real, measurable impact on the safety, job security, and quality of life for our Maryland members. That should not be lost on anyone.”

Safety Over Profits

As trains grow longer and carry more hazardous materials, maintaining adequate crew size has become a critical safety issue. SMART-TD members and Maryland lawmakers worked together to ensure communities are not treated as collateral damage or reduced to a line item on a corporate balance sheet.

The union also recognized the leadership of Governor Wes Moore, House Speaker Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Senate President Bill Ferguson, and legislators in both chambers who stood up to corporate pressure to prioritize public safety.

A Clear Message

This victory underscores what can be achieved when working people organize and engage in the legislative process. The Maryland Safety and Legislative Board would like to give a special thanks to coalition partners the MD-DC State Federation AFL-CIO, Metropolitan Washington AFL-CIO, MD Legislation Coalition, Unitarian Universalist Environmental  Justice Ministry, MD Pipe Trades Association, IAFF, IBEW Local 26, Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO, and ATU Local 1300.

With final passage expected soon, Maryland is poised to take a major step forward in protecting rail workers and the communities they serve. As Maryland SLD, David Pendleton pointed out, “A lot of us in 2026 are living our lives discouraged, but today, what SMART-TD and the great state of Maryland have proved is that the system still works as long as ‘We, The People’ are willing to stand up, participate in it, and show the willingness to make it true.”

###

For more information or to connect with SMART-TD’s Maryland State Safety and Legislative Director, David Pendleton, or a member of his leadership team, please contact:

Dan Banks

dbanks@smart-union.org

(216) 227-5283

Alyssa Hansen

alyssa.hansen@smart-union.org

Senator Cory McCray, Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins, President of ATU 1300 Mike McMillan, Senate President Bill Ferguson, SMART-TD Maryland Director David Pendleton, President Local 1664 of International Association of Fire Fighters Jeff Buddle,

We all learn something early in this industry: the railroad will not accept responsibility for your safety. For railroaders, this truth is most dangerous not on an ordinary workday, but on the worst day of their life.

When a serious injury or fatality occurs, the situation becomes life-altering for the worker and their family. For company officials and local managers, it becomes something else entirely. It’s a career-defining event. Management’s attention immediately turns to numbers like lost-time, reportable injuries, liability exposure, and how the event will affect their performance record and bonuses. In those moments, our well-being often takes a back seat to management’s self-preservation.

Across the industry, management’s performance is evaluated on minimizing injuries, reducing costs, and controlling outcomes. That pressure does not disappear when someone is hurt; it intensifies. When careers, reputations, and bonuses are on the line, the railroads’ focus shifts rapidly toward damage control. In those moments, injured workers are not viewed as equals. They are viewed as a risk. And risk must be managed.

When You’re Injured, the Clock Starts Ticking

After a serious injury or fatality, time becomes the enemy. What follows is a high-stakes race between the railroad and the union.

A race to the hospital.
A race to the family.
A race to the accident scene.

The railroad industry’s documented pattern following an injury is for company representatives to arrive quickly while a member is injured, exhausted, frightened, and heavily medicated. In those moments, workers and families are vulnerable. Conversations are framed as “routine,” “just part of the process,” or even “helpful.” Paperwork appears. Statements are requested. Medical record releases are signed. Access is assumed.

Once a document is signed, a statement is given, and access is granted, the damage is too often done. That is why this moment is where SMART-TD matters most.

One Local Chair, Three Critical Battles

When tragedy strikes, local officers are immediately fighting on three fronts at once:

  • At the hospital: ensuring injured or medicated members are not pressured into giving statements or signing documents, and that medical records are not being released to the railroad
  • With the next of kin: making sure families understand they are not required to speak with company representatives and should not sign anything. Sometimes, the local chairman is even required to physically place themselves between families and railroad management
  • At the scene: ensuring evidence is preserved, and facts are not altered, omitted, or selectively framed

No Local Chair can be in three places at the same time. And too often, members assume, “The union has it covered.”

Here is the truth. The union is not a building or an office. The union is its members.

When something goes wrong, the railroad has a plan, a protocol, and is prepared for these moments. We must be just as prepared. Preparation requires participation, not just being a side line spectator.

Texting, gossiping, and posting divisive, negative comments on social media are not helpful ways to help our members. Showing up, is.

What Every Member Must Do

If you want the union to be there when your family needs it most, these steps are not optional.

1. Download the SMART app: Every member and officer should have the SMART app downloaded onto your phone and other devices. Stay up to date on breaking information about your union and local officers. Find contact information for your SMART-TD Designated Legal Counsel (DLC) on the app before an emergency strikes.

2. Get Help From Your Designated Legal Counsel (DLC): Should you or one of your members suffer injury on the property, contact your local DLC. Your union provides legal counsel who are experienced in representing you and your members when an on the job injury occurs. Your DLC are SMART approved and know what to do when your members need help the most. DLC specialize in enforcing the laws protecting you, your members, and your families.

3. Keep Your Contact Information Updated: When time matters, local officers should not have to search through outdated phone numbers, addresses, or emergency contacts. Too often, the railroad knows how to reach a family before SMART-TD does. Update your contact and emergency contact information with SMART-TD every time it changes. No exceptions.

4. Fill Local Officer Positions: Vacant officer positions weaken our response instantly. When only a few positions are filled, and those members are working or in the away-from-home terminal, coverage collapses. When one person is forced to choose which battle to fight, the others are lost automatically. If your local has vacancies, please step up. Protect your coworkers and their kids when it counts.

5.  Educate Your Family: Your family must know what to expect. They need to understand they are not required to speak to company representatives, that all communication should go through the union and Designated Legal Counsel, and that medical records do not belong to the railroad. Railroad workers are not subject to workers’ compensation systems, so the railroad has no rights to your medical records. Medical information is private, period.

Our families must be prepared to say, “We will not speak with you. Contact the union and my DLC.”

When It Happens to One of Us, We All Must Act

If a brother or sister is hurt, we need to go to the hospital. We need to go to their family’s home. We need to go to the scene. You don’t have to be an officer to help. Post up, hold the line, and keep the railroad from controlling the situation.

This is not extreme. It is necessary.

The railroad has never hidden what it is. What matters now is how we respond.

When something goes wrong, be the union you would want standing between your family and the railroad.

SMART-TD’s Utah SLD, Danny Brewer Responds

Railroaders across the country work under constant pressure. It’s all about getting us to move trains faster, clear yards quicker, and keep operations flowing. But no amount of pressure can change a fundamental truth: the rules governing railroad safety exist because someone was injured, killed, or a disaster occurred when those rules were ignored.

SMART-TD has recently received concerning reports from Utah involving management interference when railroad workers properly report (bad order) unsafe equipment. While these reports involve one location and one railroad carrier, the underlying issue is not unique to any single state or railroad. If a conductor or an engineer has made a professional judgment to tag a car or engine for repair, then that is what needs to happen to ensure the safety of all. Anytime a railroader is pressured to ignore a safety defect or bend a rule, it is a serious problem for our entire industry and the general public.

Management has no business overruling us and deciding to “un-tag” a bad order. If we let them get away with this, they are putting us, our crew, and every crew that touches this equipment in danger. In addition to the safety concerns this raises, it is a blatant example of crossing crafts and disrespect for the railroader who bad ordered the car to begin with. This is not efficiency. It’s just unsafe and out of line.

As Utah State Safety and Legislative Director Brother Danny Brewer reminds us, we must remain accountable to one another and keep railroad managers honest when it comes to safety compliance. From veteran members who are ready to pull the pin all the way to new hire trainees, NOBODY should allow managers to be pulling the red tags off of these cars.

No matter the railroad, the state, or the yard, safety must remain our true north.

Safety Notice from Utah State Safety & Legislative Director, Brother Danny Brewer

Dear fellow SMART-TD members,

The Utah SMART-TD Safety/Legislative Board has recently received several anonymous reports concerning employees that have bad ordered equipment, only to have that designation overruled by a local manager. This is not just unacceptable, it is unethical and potentially unlawful. It is imperative that all of us do everything within our power to ensure our workplace environment is safe and that the equipment we inspect is compliant with FRA Safety standards.

Under 49 U.S.C. § 20109, you have a legal right to report safety defects without facing threats or intimidation. A manager threatening an employee to ignore “bad order” cars is a potential violation of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA).

If you have a manager telling you not to bad order cars you sincerely believe contain defects that create an unsafe condition,, you can protect yourself from retaliation while standing up for the safety of every other railroader and the general public.

Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) | Whistleblower Protection Program

Our union fought to make whistleblower protection apply to railroaders. It’s here for a reason, and it works.

Recommended Immediate Steps

  • Document Everything: Write down exactly what the manager said, the date, the time, and any witnesses. Save any text messages or emails.
  • Identify the Cars: Keep a record of the specific car numbers (initials and numbers) that you were told to ignore.
  • Report the Threat: Immediately inform your union safety representative (LR). They can help you file a complaint with OSHA (which handles FRSA whistleblower claims).

Remember: You have 180 days from the date of the threat to file.

The “Tag” Rule

If you are performing a Class I or Class IA brake test and you believe a car is defective, the law protects your right to refuse to authorize its use until it is repaired.

This applies to all the equipment you handle or utilize in any way throughout your tour of duty, including:

  • Switches
  • Derails
  • Walking conditions
  • Engines
  • Rail cars

These protections apply to any defects discovered that pertain to unsafe work-related conditions.

If it smells like a Bad Order, it probably is Bad Order. Tag it, ensure it is properly identified (via your Zebra (company-provided tablet) or the/mi function in the MyUP portal), and set it out.

As professional certified rail employees, we owe it to ourselves, our fellow employees, and to the communities that we work in and travel through to ensure our trains are defect-free and yards are safe to work in.

Don’t let ANYONE stop you from doing that.

In Solidarity and Fraternity,Danny Brewer
Utah State Safety/Legislative Director
SMART-TRANSPORTATION UNION

SMART-TD mourns the loss of Brother Neal Malcolm Galloway, a member of Local 662 (Richmond, Va.), CSX conductor, and a railroader whose reputation stretched across the Commonwealth of Virginia.

On the night of his passing, Brother Galloway was doing exactly what he had always done. He was showing up for work, taking the third-trick shift because he could hold, and providing for his family. Tragically, just feet from the on-duty point, he was struck by a car estimated to be going over 100mph. 

Brother Galloway hired out with CSX in the spring of 2012. Like so many in the industry, his seniority never quite allowed him the stability of holding his home terminal in Newport News with any consistency. Instead, Neal lived the life countless railroaders know all too well. He was working wherever he could hold a job within a two-hour call window of his Virginia Beach home. From Richmond, Fulton, Acca, Gladstone, and Lynchburg yards, he worked nearly every board available, earning the respect of crews in every yard he set foot in.

It was not an easy way to make a living. Long hours, long drives, and time away from home are part of that reality. By all accounts, Neal never let that hardship change who he was. Whether coming off a 12-hour shift or heading into one, he was known for his steady demeanor, quick smile, and a joke in the crew room. Across every terminal he worked out of, there was not a person who had a bad word to say about Brother Galloway.

His fellow CSX conductor, SMART-TD Brother, and brother-in-law Gary Catchot recalled, “When Neal and I didn’t have the seniority to hold our home terminal of Newport News, Virginia, we were both working out of any yard we could hold. There were those nights when I needed to talk to somebody on my drive home to stay awake and get there safely. Neal was the kind of guy who got it. You could call him at any hour of the day or night to be that guy who guided you home when you needed him… At the end of the day, he is a man I am proud to call my brother.”

If you would like to help, a GoFundMe has been established to assist his wife, Corrine, and their daughter, Lana, with the unexpected final expenses. As Brother Catchot shared, “I appreciate everything our fellow railroaders are doing to support Corinne and my niece.”

Family and friends are invited to join in a celebration of Neal’s life on Sunday, March 22 @ 1 pm. Hollomon-Brown Funeral Home & Crematory- 3445 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the services. Gathering to follow at the Goley residence.

Brother Galloway spent his career taking care of his family, no matter what it took. Now, we ask our SMART-TD family to come together in his memory, to help him do that one more time.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who can say that being stuck in traffic 20 years ago set them on the path to where they are today.

Markeisha Haynes (Local 1785, Santa Monica, Calif.) is one of those people.

It was the mid-2000s, and she was tired of working dead-end jobs that didn’t provide a decent income to support herself and her two kids.

One day, she happened to pass a Santa Monica Big Blue Bus in traffic and wondered if that could provide the stability she wasn’t getting in other jobs.

“It was on a whim,” Haynes remembers when describing her decision to apply to become a Bus Operator. “I was initially nervous…because when you see the buses, it’s a little intimidating, right? So going into it was definitely a little challenging in the beginning.”

That was 20 years ago. She’s still a full-time Bus Operator but has gained some new titles, including Alternate Vice President (AVP) Bus-West, and is currently the only female vice president at the international level within SMART-TD.

Climbing the Ranks While Staying True to Her Beginnings

After getting hired, it didn’t take long for AVP Haynes to know that she wanted to do more.

Initially, she was a line instructor who helped new hires learn how to operate a motor coach, a role that she credits as a start to venturing out into other positions.

When she wanted to have more input in the direction of Local 1785, she decided to reach out to the Vice General Chairperson to learn how to get more involved.

His response: What took you so long?

“He had mentioned that he saw something in me…he saw this fire in me, this drive in me, and…he was getting ready to retire,” she explained.

He allowed her to shadow him before he retired, and she ultimately ran for the position.

“I was nervous at the time, because I didn’t have any experience in any of the positions,” said AVP Haynes. “It was really scary to take on the position, but there was just something in me that I knew I could do it. I campaigned, I won, and it was amazing. It’s just been up from there.” 

Today, in addition to being an Alternate Vice President, she’s also…

  • General Chairperson for the General Committee of Adjustment for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines (GCA SMB)
  • Local Chairperson for the Local Committee of Adjustment for Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines (LCA SMB)
  • Secretary for the Association of General Chairpersons (District 3)
  • Member of the Field Service Committee
  • Member of the Organizing Committee

The fact that AVP Haynes is still a full-time Bus Operator has allowed her to truly make an impact in each of these roles. She doesn’t just guess what the membership wants: she experiences it firsthand.

“I stay connected to what’s still happening here, whether it’s out on the road, being in the seat, driving and operating my vehicle,” she said. “I tell a lot of the Operators, ‘I understand. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel overworked. I know what it feels like when you’re underpaid.’”

AVP Bus-West Markeisha Haynes made it to the Anaheim Regional Training Seminar in September of 2025 after finishing her workday. Pictured here with SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson

Trusting Her Gut to Deliver Strong Results for the Membership

Something that stands out the most to AVP Haynes is what she’s been able to win for her members when it’s time to negotiate a new contract.

The first contract that she negotiated not long after becoming a General Chairperson resulted in an 18% wage increase over three years. The second contract resulted in a 19% wage increase, both of which were unprecedented.

She kept one question front and center in her mind during negotiations, especially since she hadn’t been a general chairperson for very long: is this good for my membership?

“It has to start with us (General Chairpersons and leadership roles), because the members are looking to us,” she explained. “So if we don’t put ourselves in the position where we ask ourselves ‘Is this good for me? Am I okay with this?’ and if we have to question it, then it’s not good, and then your members are not going to be okay with it. It starts and ends with us.”

“We Can Only Attract What We See”

As the only female in a leadership role at the international level, AVP Haynes admits it took her a minute to get used to often being the only woman at the table.

“Initially, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I’m the only woman. Wait, hold on…maybe I shouldn’t say this or maybe I shouldn’t say that,’” she remembered. “But you know, it’s one of those things…I’m just going to be me. I’m just going to be who I am and who I am to the core. I can do it, too.”

She’s hopeful that mantra will lead to more union sisters holding similar leadership positions.

“All we see is the male-dominated industry…we have to step outside of that and be willing to change,” she explained. “That’s stepping outside of being comfortable. That’s putting your voice out there. That’s not being afraid to speak up. I just believe that the more that we showcase that women are in these positions, I think that will get more excited about holding a leadership role, because we only attract what we can see.”

She believes that one of the ways to help do that is to showcase women in various leadership roles throughout our union so that more of them will consider stepping forward.

“I would love to see more women involved in different officer positions in the union. I would love to support that,” she said. “Whether it’s mentor, give guidance, or whatever I can do to help the next person move up, I’m all for it: making sure that women are seen and heard in these positions as well.”

That instinct to mentor and help others is ultimately what’s propelled VP Haynes to where she is today. 

“I believe there’s no stopping me. There’s no limit to how far I can go because of the drive that I have to help people.”


For the second year in a row, SMART-TD General Committee of Adjustment (GCA) 875 (Los Angeles, Calif.) leads the way in transit safety improvements for our brothers and sisters who work for Los Angeles County Metro Transportation Authority (LACMTA). This comes at a time when attacks on Operators show no signs of slowing down on both a local and national level.

Building off its 2024 successes, GCA-875 notched several major achievements in 2025. In particular, the successful installation of Operator barriers across the entire Metro bus fleet has demonstrated a significant improvement in the safety of our members. By continuing to advance safety, technology, and workforce excellence, GCA-875 is ensuring that its members remain protected, supported, and prepared for the future of public transportation.

GCA-875 Sets the Standard for Operator Safety Industry-Wide

One of GCA-875’s biggest accomplishments in 2024 was the creation of the Los Angeles Transit Police Department, which focuses on safeguarding both passengers and Operators.

In July of 2025, GCA leadership met with Metro’s new Chief of Police William Scott and its in-house police department to discuss its future collaborative efforts. Chief Scott plans to hire approximately 700 officers to strengthen safety across the transit system and provide even more protection for SMART-TD Operators.

An incident in October of 2025 underscores why the need for improved safety across the transit agency is critical.

Metro Chief of Police William Scott is announced at a press conference with L.A. City officials and SMART-TD brothers and sisters from Metro.

While Brother Kerry Stuart (Local 1564, Los Angeles, Calif.) was on duty, one of his passengers was violently assaulted by another rider and sustained a serious neck injury.

Borther Stuart didn’t hesitate and took decisive action. He removed his shirt, applied pressure to the wound and remained with the injured passenger until medical help arrived. His quick thinking and bravery were instrumental in saving the passenger’s life, and he was honored for his heroic actions.

SMART Local 1564 formally honored Operator Stuart for his heroic actions. Left to
Right: Nathan Henderson – Vice President; Wanda Muñoz – President; Kerry Stuart –
Honoree Member Division 18; Andy Carter – Local Chairperson and Gregory Smith –
Vice Chairperson.

New Pilot Program Enhances Operator Awareness

With input from SMART-TD, Metro continues to advance safety innovation with pilot programs for the Mobileye Shield+ Collision Avoidance System and the Luminator Video Mirror System, new technologies designed to enhance Operator awareness and reduce roadway risks.

The Luminator Video Mirror provides some of the following benefits to Operators…

  • Increased safety: The system alerts the driver of a potential danger in the blind spot area by switching on a light. This allows the driver to have an optimized view of their environment.
  • Reduced driver fatigue, including less strain on the eyes
  • Integrated systems to ensure that cameras can always take critical images
SMART team ,(left to right) Local Chairperson 1607/Secretary of the GCA 875 –
Julio Mejia, General Chairperson – John M. Ellis and Local Chairperson 1565/Vice
General Chairperson – Quintin Wormley

Projects Honored with Multiple Prestigious Awards

Held in March of 2025, Metro’s annual Moscars Awards celebrate excellence throughout the agency, and GCA-875 and its officers received special recognition for both their leadership and dedication in successfully completing the Operator Barrier Project across the entire Metro bus fleet.

The completion of the barrier installations marks a major milestone in enhancing Operator safety system-wide. The commitment, persistence, and collaboration demonstrated by SMART leadership and Metro partners were instrumental in bringing this project to full completion.

Just three months later, GCA-875 General Chairperson John M. Ellis and LACMTA CEO Stephanie Wiggins accepted an award for “Project of the Year” for the same initiative at the annual California Transportation Foundation Awards, highlighting the project’s impact on safety, innovation, and labor-management collaboration.

GCA-875 Team accepting Moscars Award for their work on Operator Barrier Project

Effort to Protect Operators is Rooted in Teamwork

As General Chairman Ellis explains, the strong partnership between Metro and SMART-TD underscores what’s possible when labor and management work constructively to improve the safety of Operators system-wide. “Through a joint collaborative effort with Metro, we will continue to protect our Operators with the latest technology available,” he said.