WASHINGTON, DC – The shop craft unions at Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway are urgently callinguponthe Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to initiate unannounced focus inspections on all locomotives and rail cars owned and leased by BNSF Railway, and immediately issue non-compliance orders requiring BNSF to fix all found defects before being permitted to use such equipment, citing concerns over numerous defects that are allegedly being ignored and neglected by BNSF management.
The lettercomes on the heels of BNSF’s recent announcement of over 362 furloughs in the shop craft unions, further exacerbating concerns over safety and maintenance practices. The defects and recent extreme cuts to the workforce pose serious safety risks to railroad operations and personnel.
Many furloughed employees may be forced to accept positions with lower pay and fewer benefits, potentially disrupting their lives and livelihoods.
In a letteraddressed to FRA Administrator Amit Bose, the shop craft unions at BNSF highlighted their ongoing efforts to address safety and maintenance issues within the railroad industry. The letter referenced a meeting held on December 19, 2023, during which the shop craft unions presented evidence of significant workforce reductions within the mechanical departments of Class I freight railroads, including a staggering 41% decrease in employees since 2015.
Reports received by the shop craft unions indicate that BNSF managers that have been under pressure to perform work without an adequate number of workers, may have instructed workers to release locomotives and rail cars for service that have not been adequately inspected or repaired, effectively disregarding federally mandated safety inspections and fabricate of inspection reports, purportedly as part of cost-cutting measures aimed at maximizing shareholder profits.
“BNSF’s actions represent a reckless disregard for the safety and integrity of our nation’s railways,” said the shop craft unions. “BNSF has recently admitted in public filings that they would not be in compliance with federally mandated safety inspections, and we continue to be informed that BNSF has numerous FRA defects on their locomotives and rail cars. There is no shortage of profits for BNSF, and there is no shortage of work to be performed on BNSF equipment. There is simply an obscene shortage of workers and disregard for people at BNSF. By prioritizing cost-cutting over safety, BNSF is placing its employees and the public at risk. In light of these developments, we have urged the FRA to take immediate action to ensure the safety of BNSF operations. Random audits and focus inspections are essential to holding BNSF accountable and preventing further compromises to safety.”
The shop craft unions at BNSF are calling upon the FRA to prioritize the safety of railroad workers and the integrity of railroad operations by promptly conducting inspections of BNSF locomotives and rail cars located at or in transit to all BNSF Locomotive Maintenance Inspection Terminals (LMITs).
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The Shop Craft Unions are, in alphabetical order: The Brotherhood of Railroad Carmen Division, TCU/IAM (BRC), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) , the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the National Conference of Fireman and Oilers, Local 32BJ/SEIU (NCFO), the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Mechanical Department (SMART MD), the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU).
SMART International Organizer Warren Faust speaks during a rally for Green Transit, Green Jobs in New York.
SMART International Organizer Warren Faust and International Representative Larry Kinzie joined fellow union members, environmental advocates, industry leaders and New York state legislators on January 30 to call on Governor Kathy Hochul to include the Green Transit, Green Jobs bill (S.6089/A.6414) in the SFY 2025 Final Budget. Standing in front of an electric bus built by SMART Local 105 members in Lancaster, California, the coalition urged New York lawmakers to pass common-sense legislation that puts workers first and creates union jobs.
“As the union that represents workers at a major zero-emission bus manufacturer, we recognize that government spending can support good, community-sustaining jobs throughout the country and in New York,” said Faust.
The Green Transit, Green Jobs bill would mandate that public bus systems convert to zero-emission buses, incentivizing the manufacturing of electric buses in New York communities that need jobs and opportunity. It would require that all new buses purchased by New York public transit authorities be electric by 2029, and it would ensure that zero-emission buses purchased by the state achieve a dual goal: helping reduce carbon emissions in New York State and creating good, family-sustaining jobs that take New Yorkers into the middle class.
“SMART and BYD have shown that a successful partnership between unions and manufacturers can lead to a well-trained workforce ready for the transition to a green economy,” Faust said. “This was possible through policy proposals like the U.S. Jobs Plan, a strong jobs and equity tool that is part of the Green Transit, Green Jobs bill.”
Currently, according to Earthjustice, the transportation sector accounts for 41% of all fuel combustion emissions in New York state – helping spur the ongoing climate crisis and leading to high levels of air pollution that make up more than 2,000 premature deaths from ingesting toxic pollution from tailpipe emissions annually. The public health damages from vehicle emissions cost the state $21 billion each year.
“New York state can change the way it invests our public dollars to maintain and create good, community-sustaining jobs in manufacturing,” Faust concluded. “New York can lead the way by passing the U.S. Jobs Plan and the Green Transit, Green Jobs bill.”
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved a seven-year citywide project labor agreement (PLA) that will apply to every city project that costs more than $5 million in the first two years and $1 million projects for the following years, rewarding a years-long effort by SM Local 206 and the San Diego Building Trades to raise working standards in the city. The vote, which took place on January 30, followed a successful referendum in November 2023, when San Diego citizens voted to repeal the city’s decade-long ban on PLAs.
“For decades, San Diego was a test lab for what comes when a greedy, conservative establishment runs a big city,” San Diego City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It doesn’t work. This place is too expensive, folks aren’t paid enough, and more and more people are wondering how the hell they will continue to live in San Diego.”
PLAs help prevent worker exploitation and construction delays by setting wages, safety standards and regulations at union-negotiated levels, providing stronger pay and organizing complex jobs to be completed on time (saving taxpayer dollars in the process). They also frequently include local hire requirements and goals for employing historically disadvantaged workers, such as homeless people, veterans and more.
Local 206 Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Dave Gauthier testifies on the importance of PLAs.
In a city that awards more than 100 contracts (approximately) for construction projects each year, the new San Diego PLA promises years of work for SMART members and construction workers in a city growing ever more expensive to live in. That’s a big deal for working-class people across San Diego, and it’s due in large part to the determination and advocacy of unions like Local 206 in spearheading the successful Measure D referendum.
“I’m very proud to say that our members drove the bus on the passage of Measure D,” said Dave Gauthier, Local 206 business manager and financial secretary-treasurer. “We gave up our weekends and weeknights to repeal the largest PLA ban in the country. Negotiating for and winning this citywide PLA is literally the fruit of our labor, and I’m so happy to share this victory with the entire membership.
“Not only will this PLA provide new career opportunities for our community and more work for our members, it will also help us grow our membership numbers and our contractor base for years to come. We can proudly say that San Diego is now officially a union town!”
The victory on both Measure D and the citywide PLA negotiations demonstrates the importance of members getting involved in the political process. It also showed the power of solidarity across SMART and the labor movement, Gauthier explained.
“We couldn’t have done this without assistance from others in our union,” he said. “We received contributions from the SMART PAL (Political Action League) fund, the Western States Council PAC fund, the California State Building Trades Council and SMART Local 104. We organized a union-first campaign, and we should all celebrate the win together.”
More than 4,000 tradeswomen and allies converged for Tradeswomen Build Nations 2023 (TWBN) in Washington, DC, from December 1–3 for an awe-inspiring display of sisterhood, strength and solidarity. Highlighted by the annual banner parade, where tradeswomen took the streets of DC to showcase their union pride, the conference was an example of the progress and momentum carrying both SMART and the labor movement into the future.
Plenary speakers illustrate progress made, work ahead
Plenary sessions on Saturday and Sunday brought various speakers from the labor movement, the United States government and the construction industry to TWBN, all of whom spoke to the progress that has been made for women in the trades — and the importance of building on that progress in the years to come.
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey delivered remarks on Saturday that largely focused on the union difference, particularly with a labor-friendly administration in power and an extraordinary amount of work on the horizon. After highlighting worker wins across North America, from infrastructure legislation and projects in the United States to clean energy tax credits in Canada — which mandate provinces to require inclusive restrooms on jobsites — McGarvey homed in on the important role unions need to play.
Collective bargaining agreements, project labor agreements and community benefits agreements are making the construction industry more equitable and inclusive, he said, helping bring women and underrepresented communities onto jobsites. And since 2016, NABTU affiliates like SMART have increased women participation in apprenticeships by 50%, thanks in no small part to pre-apprenticeship programs. But there is more work to be done, particularly when it comes to childcare obstacles, eliminating hazing and discrimination on the jobsite, and more.
“We are on the right track,” McGarvey declared. “You are the future of our unions.”
Local 16 Organizer Korri BusAFL-CIO President Liz ShulerNABTU President Sean McGarvey
McGarvey was followed by Stanley Black & Decker President Maria Ford and United States Speaker of the House Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, two glass-ceiling-shattering women who discussed the importance of gender equity and inclusiveness in business and in government. Ford detailed her journey from intern to president and stressed that diversity and inclusion aren’t just about statistics and quotas, but about strengthening industries — pointing to the National Football League as an example of a company whose value spiked as it made strides to include more women. Pelosi, on the other hand, talked about how unions have built America into the country it is today, and how union jobs with prevailing wages can change women’s lives for the better. She also underlined the importance of passing legislation that creates more union jobs, expands childcare accessibility and more.
“We believe that when women succeed, America succeeds,” she declared.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler took the stage to reflect on the extraordinary growth TWBN has achieved during its 13 years, from small gatherings in conference rooms to standing-room-only rallies in enormous ballrooms. After thanking NABTU’s Tradeswomen Committee — which includes SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina — Shuler talked about taking the momentum of TWBN back to local unions across North America.
“We need every woman in America to see that construction is for them,” she said. “You are the best organizers.”
Shuler described some of the threats facing workers in North America, including corporate-controlled technology such as artificial intelligence. But, she noted, “you can’t build nations with an algorithm.” The strikes that defined 2023 demonstrate the determination of workers to seize their power, and it is imperative that SMART sisters and allies work to build on the foundation that has been laid.
“We’re going to keep growing, we’re going to keep marching, we’re going to keep winning together,” Shuler concluded.
On Sunday, Local 16 (Portland, Oregon) Organizer Korri Bus took the stage to tell her story and shed light on one of the most devastating recruitment obstacles in the trades: the lack of accessible, affordable childcare. Bus has been in the trade for approximately 17 years but had to step away temporarily in 2007, when she was forced to choose between her job and her need for reliable childcare. America’s existing childcare system is inadequate and far too expensive for workers across sectors — especially tradespeople, who work long hours outside the 9–5 schedule.
“It’s not just a personal struggle, it’s a collective challenge,” Bus said. “Together, let’s build a future where no parent in the trades has to choose between professional commitments and parental responsibilities.”
Other speakers throughout the weekend included International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) President Jimmy Williams, Jr., Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su and others. All speakers noted that TWBN 2023 was a signifier of fantastic growth — and urged attendees to perform the work, from organizing to pushing for proworker legislation, to make sure that progress continues.
“I came to Tradeswomen Build Nations for the first time in 2015 — there were 30 of us in the room. Now there are over 300 of us here.”
Shamaiah Turner, a SMART Women’s Committee member and Northeast Regional Council Business Development Representative
SMART sisters and allies get to work in breakout sessions
Breakout sessions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning put TWBN attendees to work, learning more about pressing issues facing women in the trades and brainstorming together on how to push forward. Sessions included “Women-Mentoring-Women in the Building Trades;” “Federal Policies Impacting Tradeswomen and the Infrastructure Generation;” “Moving Beyond Recruitment to Retention;” and many more.
Sheena Jones (Local 36, St. Louis) and Amanda Filpo (Local 28, New York City) present on BE4ALL during a Tradeswomen Build Nations breakout session.
In the “Childcare: Challenges and Solutions, and What the Building Trades are Doing to Help” breakout, attendees heard from panelists on how inadequate childcare is preventing people from entering the trades, as well as pilot programs being implemented to help tradespeople and potential long-term solutions. In Milwaukee, for example, TradesFutures — the nonprofit set up by NABTU and contractor partners — put together a program to cover half the childcare costs of program participants. And Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) in New York City created a similar pilot program, helping union tradeswomen choose the childcare options and provider they needed in order to get to work. Importantly, all panelists emphasized the need for lasting solutions — namely, legislation that makes childcare available to all workers.
SMART sheet metal workers and Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Committee members Sheena Jones (Local 36, St. Louis) and Amanda Filpo (Local 28, New York City) took center stage during the “Pioneering Progress: Highlighting DEI Success in NABTU Workforce Development Programs like SMART BE4ALL” breakout session. Along with an Ironworker member of the Navajo nation — who discussed the importance of inclusion and taking on workforce challenges with an Indigenous-specific lens — Jones and Filpo provided an overview on how diversity, belonging and inclusion are core to the labor movement’s values, demonstrating how BE4ALL’s work is making our union stronger. The pair pointed to BE4ALL’s existing success stories, such as the distribution of bathroom kits with menstrual products to JATCs across North America, as examples of material steps unions can take to bring more people into the trades.
“This is how you prove that you want to keep people in the industry,” Filpo said.
SMART caucus brings members together for the journey ahead
SMART General President Michael Coleman and the SMART Women’s Committee addressed and answered questions from TWBN attendees during the annual SMART caucus, which outlined our union’s dedication to bringing more women and underserved populations into our trade.
General President Coleman and the SMART International Women’s Committee
SMART Women’s Committee member Amy Carr kicked off the caucus by talking about growth, pointing out how many women have joined SMART since her first TWBN conference in Chicago in 2017, as well as how many local unions now have women’s committees. Chair Vanessa Carman then had the Women’s Committee members introduce themselves before subcommittee chairs overviewed the work they’ve undertaken in the last year, from working to increase the number of women in SMART and facilitating mentoring programs, to helping women members across North America create, sustain and strengthen local union women’s committees — and much more.
The Women’s Committee website has information and resources related to the on-the-ground work the committee is performing, committee member Subrina Sandefur said, including sister stories, information on parental support and childcare, and so much more. In addition, the Women’s Committee hosted a series of virtual events throughout the year, including informational sessions on pathways to leadership and union-wide Women In Construction Week celebrations.
General President Coleman then spoke to the caucus, acknowledging the work and leadership of the Women’s Committee.
“It is an honor to be here today, and it is an honor to represent you every day,” he said. “You are true trade unionists.”
Coleman paid tribute to the determination and fearlessness of women across our union, and said the women at TWBN reminded him of trailblazing workers’ and civil rights leaders from throughout history.
“You are making a difference in this world,” he explained. “There are so many people that don’t have the opportunity to make a difference. You are making a difference, a tangible difference, that you should all embrace, every single day.”
Our SMART sisters are changing the lives of working women across North America, Coleman continued, leading by example as they fight for better pay, working conditions and contracts that eliminate the gender pay gap. He vowed to walk in lockstep with women across our union as they take on those battles. “I want you to know that I’ve got your back,” he concluded. “General President Sellers, he led. And I’m promising each and every one of you: I will lead in the same way. We are going to continue in this movement, and I will fight for every single one of you.”
As we enter 2024, I hope all of you — no matter your faiths, traditions or beliefs — were able to enjoy well-deserved time with your loved ones during the holiday season. You are the men and women who keep our two nations moving, whether carrying freight, transporting passengers or building the battery plants and chip factories of our new industrial revolution. On behalf of myself and the SMART General Executive Council, I want to thank you for all that you do.
Last year we began to not just see, but to live the rewards of the hard-won battles we fought in the past. Federal legislation that we helped pass in 2021 and 2022 — such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act — helped spur record levels of public and private investment in the construction industry. This is already changing lives for SMART sheet metal workers and our families. As just one example, a Ford megaproject in Kentucky has helped SMART Local 110 nearly double in size as we organize and recruit to meet workforce demands — boosting the local’s collective bargaining power, lifting area working conditions, benefiting Local 110 retirees and so much more.
“We know we have more to do, from organizing nonunion sheet metal workers, to ending the pernicious wave of assaults on bus and transit operators.”
Around this time in 2023, railroaders were just emerging from a long, bitter contract dispute with the Class I railroad carriers — one in which the carriers infamously argued that “capital investment and risk are the reasons for their profits, not any contributions by labor.” It would have been easy for members to be discouraged. But instead, railroaders stood together in unwavering solidarity, making use of new media attention and public support to go on offense. At one time, the carriers maintained that they would never negotiate on quality-of-life issues, but in the last year alone, SMART-TD members have ratified tentative agreements with Norfolk Southern, BNSF and Union Pacific that make substantial improvements to sick pay, scheduling and more — setting an important precedent and demonstrating the true power of labor.
Those are just two of our fights from the last year. We know we have more to do, from organizing nonunion sheet metal workers, to ending the pernicious wave of assaults on bus and transit operators. I promise you, we will continue to fight these battles, and we will see victory in the end.
2024 is an election year. We all know what that entails: a wave of political posturing and overtures to working Americans through November. But we also know how important elections are — we’ve seen their impact in the last year alone. This election will present us with a stark choice: pro-union candidates who act on our behalf to secure our future, or two-faced politicians who are beholden only to their corporate donors. I know which option I’m choosing.
So, brothers and sisters, as we look towards 2024, let’s seize this moment. Let’s build a future that will benefit our families and our communities for generations to come.
I’m writing this just after attending the Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) Conference in Washington, DC. The conference, held annually by the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU), brought together 4,000 women and allies — making this year’s event the largest yet.
As I watched and participated in TWBN, I was reminded what this union and all unions have stood for since our earliest days. This event, and the trade unionists who attend it, demonstrate the strength, solidarity and siblinghood that define our movement and make all of our lives better on a daily basis.
For many of us, it can be easy to take that for granted. We have good jobs and the amount of work out in front of us looks good for the next few years — so, being human, we get complacent. But times like these are when we need to lean in and keep the momentum we built moving forward. Nobody else will do it for us.
This is our time to march forward and set ourselves up for the future. At TWBN 2023, I witnessed extraordinary energy, as tradeswomen and allies rallied through the streets of DC. We need to capitalize on that energy — which our sisters are bringing to our movement — and push, together, to accomplish more.
Today, the public stands firmly behind us. Regardless of the division we sometimes see in the United States and the various parties operating in Canada, our fellow citizens resoundingly believe in the union movement — more than any other time since World War II. Now, it’s time to take advantage.
We know that a strong labor movement is vital to our children’s futures. I want to remind you that each of us has the power to secure that future. When your union asks for help in the upcoming months to promote good, union values to our neighbors, take that small step to help out. We have all been there for the first time, whether knocking on doors or participating in labor walks. It may seem daunting, but I assure you: It gets easier over time, and the time spent with your union brothers and sisters will be something you look upon with fondness in future years.
At TWBN 2023, I witnessed extraordinary energy, as tradeswomen and allies rallied through the streets of DC. We need to capitalize on that energy — which our sisters are bringing to our movement — and push, together, to accomplish more.
In the United States, we are heading into another election year. I want you to think about the things that are important to you and which candidates and policies will protect your family’s future. We will see familiar rhetoric from all sides. But regardless of what the issue of the day is, and what promises are made, I want to ask you to stay focused on what matters: the candidates that worked with your union to keep food on the table, money in your wallet, security for your retirement and dignity for all workers. These are strong union values, and if we stick with them, all the others will fall into place.
We all have a choice when we vote — however you vote, that is your right. I just ask that you weigh your options. When you do, I hope that providing a stable future for your family is one of your top priorities. If so, please support those candidates that support us.
The year of 2023 was an unprecedented success for our union, and all should take pride in what our organization has accomplished. Win percentages on our appeals are higher now than at any time in recent memory. We fought and won the first paid sick leave for transportation employees after going without for nearly two centuries of American railroading. Our brothers and sisters on many bus and transit properties are earning better wages, benefits and time off through hard-fought and overdue agreements nationwide.
Our voices have been heard by the general public, press and in the halls of state capitols and Washington, DC. But more importantly, they are recognizing the validity of our organization’s longstanding issues and concerns. In the future, transportation employees of all types will look back at what we accomplished in 2023 as a positive turning point, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for making this a reality.
When I was first elected, I stated that training was going to be a center focus of my administration. We changed the format to better serve our locals, and I could not be more proud of how well it has been embraced and the results it has produced. The commitment and effort that many of our local officers have demonstrated by participating in our regional training seminars is a tribute to the level of professionalism and dedication needed in SMART-TD to strengthen the foundation on which our progress and future success is built. I applaud all of those that have not only attended one of these events, but also those who have taken and applied the knowledge and skills presented for the betterment of the members we proudly represent.
Your general committee and state board officers are engaged in the issues that affect your daily lives and are doing amazing work. They are unafraid to use their skills, knowledge, and connections to make sure our issues and concerns are heard in efforts to create real-world solutions for our members. I want to tip my hat to the effort they have all demonstrated this year. It is no exaggeration to say that the lives of our members are better today than it was in 2022. I owe a debt of gratitude to every member and officer that has assisted in making this a reality.
This union is solid, cohesive, and moving collectively in the direction of progress. All of us look to 2024 with the prospect of heightened pay, continued improvement in quality of life with additional scheduled and reliable time off and the prospect that our lives and those of our families are on the right trajectory. We are doing everything we can to make your quality of life reflect the true value of your labor.
In the coming months, the Federal Railroad Administration is scheduled to announce the results of the two-person crew hearings held in late 2022, and we look forward to hearing those results. Many of you answered the call and let your voices be heard on this pivotal issue, setting the stage for what would be a historic victory. We are looking to replicate this success as SMART-TD takes on the issue of the rising number and severity of assaults on our passenger/commuter rail and bus members. This issue directly impacts the lives of many of our members and we will not allow it to go unchecked. We must show no hesitation in leading the way on this significant issue while other, less-dynamic unions apparently remain content with the status quo.
Our members deserve more, and we will do all we can in efforts of ensuring their safety.
If 2023 has taught us anything, it is that we are the leader in U.S. transportation labor and our influence grows daily. However, all of this progress can be lost if we sit on our laurels or stop working as a collective group. It is for this reason that I personally request that you all stay invested in the fight for what’s right in 2024 as we lay it on the line to further the causes that define our careers and lives.
In closing, I wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year!
Fraternally,
Jeremy R. Ferguson President, Transportation Division
The North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) held their annual Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) conference in Washington, DC, in early December. Over 4,000 sisters and allies were in attendance, forging the future of the construction industry. The conference provides opportunities for networking, learning and leadership development for all attendees, whether you are an apprentice or a journeyperson. Workshops and plenary sessions were facilitated by tradeswomen and featured union leaders, apprentice coordinators, contractors and politicians.
It was a fun-filled weekend packed with great information. The conference took to the streets for the banner parade to showcase the enthusiasm and opportunities for a career in the trades. I encourage all locals to send a delegation of sisters to the 2024 TWBN conference, which will be held in New Orleans. The weekend will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose and pride in the labour movement. Our SMART delegation has continued to grow over the years, so let’s keep the momentum going and aim to have more in attendance next year.
In November, the Federal Government tabled legislation to implement the Fall Economic Statement, which included labour requirements for Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) for green technologies contained within it. The ITCs will be available for investments in clean technology, clean electricity, clean hydrogen and carbon capture. To be eligible to receive the maximum ITC, employers must adhere to a definition of prevailing wage that is based on multiemployer collective agreements and have at least 10% of work hours be performed by apprentices.
SMART and the Canadian Building Trades have been advocating for years for this kind of prevailing wage language. We are hoping, with your support, that we can ensure the Government gets this legislation across the finish line and into law.
The theme of last year’s SMART Leadership Conference, held in August, was “This is Our Time” — and that sentiment couldn’t be truer. With wildfires burning across the country and health advisories being issued almost daily across North America, our skills are needed now more than ever. Fresh air and ventilation verification have never been more important. With news stories regarding ventilation issues in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, indoor air quality is front and centre. And in Ontario, the New Democratic Party has announced that it will be presenting a private members’ bill to improve indoor air safety.
Grassroots groups like Ontario School Safety are advocating for safer school environments in Canada, particularly improved air quality. While the initial focus was on COVID-19 protection, concerns have expanded to other respiratory threats, including the flu, respiratory syncytial virus and pollutants like wildfire smoke. Experts and parent groups emphasize the need for better ventilation and air filtration, suggesting schools consider upgrading to MERV 13 filters in their HVAC systems.
A memo from September 2023 by Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce stated the province’s requirement for a standalone HEPA filter in specific classrooms and areas without adequate mechanical ventilation or lacking MERV 13 filters. The province has dedicated over $665 million towards enhancing air quality in schools, implementing over 100,000 HEPA units, and has allocated an additional $30 million for the upcoming school year for higher-grade filters.
We must collectively use our expertise and meet with local, provincial and federal governments to ensure that our members’ skills are recognized and utilized in constructing healthy buildings and healthy homes.
Clean air concerns are not just limited to schools. This past summer, wildfires caused dangerously high levels of smoke and chemicals in communities across the country. Often, buildings like libraries, schools and malls are designated as cleaner air spaces for the public to find respite from wildfire smoke. With the increasing effects of climate change leading to more frequent wildfires, these safe havens are becoming even more essential. To address this, some towns, such as Renfrew, Ontario, have transformed public buildings into clean-air shelters equipped with strong air filtration systems to protect against harmful particles.
However, at present, clean-air shelters operate sporadically. There is an absence of provincially regulated alert systems, and no standardized method of informing the public about which shelters are operational. There’s a growing call among advocates for Canadian cities to introduce an automatic mechanism, activating all designated clean-air shelters (free of charge) if an area’s air quality remains in the “moderate” bracket for more than two consecutive days. In the face of the ongoing climate crisis, it’s vital for Canada to prioritize health-focused initiatives, starting from the federal tier and extending down to the provincial and municipal levels. We must collectively use our expertise and meet with local, provincial and federal governments to ensure that our members’ skills are recognized and utilized in constructing healthy buildings and healthy homes.
As we begin a new year, we must remember that this is our time. Our time to organize, our time to grow and our time to expand our contractor base. We must bring into our membership everyone that works in our trades. We must utilize all our tools to organize, and we need our membership involved by adopting the SMART Incentive Program. By having our members recruiting the next generation of workers, we will build our locals and set the standard for generations.
We have been growing momentum as we strive for a better Canada and a brighter future. Please continue to stay active, get involved and stay safe!
“This agreement our general committees have reached with BNSF continues to show the strength of our union’s leadership. Together we have made unprecedented inroads on attendance and quality-of-life issues — an area carriers had no interest to collectively bargain,” said SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. “We have cleared the way for our members on BNSF to expect predictability in their work rest schedules, while at the same time securing proper compensation on a variety of issues that were not agreed to in past rounds of national negotiations. It was long overdue that these issues be addressed. I’m very proud of everyone’s efforts to get this accomplished.”
Negotiations with BNSF under Articles VI and VII of the National Rail Agreement began in January following wide national attention on rail labor’s fight to improve rail workers’ quality of life. The tentative agreement with BNSF was reached by the eight affected SMART-TD general committees months later; votes were cast through the month of October and tabulated on November 2.
The general chairpersons involved include GO 001’s Mike LaPresta, GO 009’s Scott Swiatek, GO 017’s Rich O’Connell, GO 020’s Justin Schrock, GO 386’s Larry Miller, GO 393’s Kevin Kime, GO 577’s Roy Davis and Tony McAdams from GO JTD.
Under the next phase of this process, SMART-TD and BNSF will begin implementing the agreed-upon changes. Members who are eligible for additional vacation will have the opportunity to schedule that vacation in 2024. Implementation of other provisions of the agreement will take place over the coming weeks and months.
“We would like to thank our members for their patience throughout the negotiation process, and for casting their votes,” the eight general chairpersons of the involved committees said in a joint statement. “The overwhelming approval ratings prove that our members see the value in this agreement. We were determined to obtain meaningful improvements to our working conditions, and this agreement does exactly that. While our fight is never over, we are confident that this will serve as a substantial step in the right direction.”
The general chairpersons also expressed appreciation to Vice President Joe Lopez, who helped lead negotiations, along with Vice Presidents Chad Adams and Jamie Modesitt.
“Our general chairpersons showed exemplary leadership and cohesion through the up-and-down nature of these discussions,” the three vice presidents said. “We congratulate them on their accomplishments and commend them on their focus on what matters — improving the quality of life and working conditions of our members.”
In May of 2023, SMART dealt a major blow to Union Pacific when, after four years, we successfully received an arbitration award that sustained our claim for protective benefits for five SMARTRailroad, Mechanical and Engineering (RME) members that were furloughed by the carrier and replaced with contractors.
On October 1, 2019, Union Pacific sent a notice to SMART stating that it was furloughing nine employees working in the Water Service Department, and that the carrier intended to contract out the work. Union Pacific refused to follow the black letter of the collective bargaining agreement and instead arbitrarily selected which of the furloughed employees would receive protective benefits, denying benefits to others.
SMART filed a claim on behalf of the members that were refused protective benefits, and the case was heard before a Special Board of Adjustment in 2021. The claim was originally denied by the arbitrator; however, SMART asserted that the board’s decision was not based on the clear language of the agreement and filed a motion to vacate in district court. The court agreed with SMART and remanded the case back to the arbitrator, which meant going through the entire arbitration process a second time.
“I would never have gotten anything without the help of the union, without people like Joe giving their time and doing their job. The money will go a long way.”
RME member Don Yei
The case was heard again in March 2023 — and SMART prevailed. Union Pacific was ordered to provide protective benefits to the members’ choosing based on the options set forth in the agreement. In total, these SMART members will receive more than $840,000 in protective benefits.
“Union Pacific is a huge railroad, and it fought hard to deny the members what was rightfully theirs,” said International Representative Joe Fraley, who handled the case. “But even when times got tough, the members had SMART’s back — and SMART had theirs. Together, we fought smarter, we fought harder, and we won. That’s what being SMART is all about.”
“I am honored and humbled to represent the members — the members are the real heroes here, and they deserve every penny that they will receive,” he added. “We would not have done it without all of us working together. We would not have done it without being SMART.”
For the victorious members, the case demonstrates the material difference of union solidarity.
“I would never have gotten anything without the help of the union, without people like Joe giving their time and doing their job,” said RME member Don Yei. “The money will go a long way.”
