Category: Leadership Messages
VSTD NOTICE: ELIMINATION PERIOD WAIVED FOR COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) DISABILITIES
April 15, 2020 As Trustees of the SMART Voluntary Short Term Disability Plan, we have a responsibility to manage your Plan with care and prudence. We are always concerned with maximizing the benefit of the program for you, particularly in your time of need. We believe this ha [...]
Vice General Chairperson to NS CEO: Protect your train operators
The CEO of Norfolk Southern, James A. Squires, recently asked employees for feedback concerning the carrier’s responsiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic. SMART Transportation Division has been gathering reports about how carriers are complying during the outbreak of corona [...]
SMART leaders urge full initiation of Defense Production Act
The Defense Production Act (DPA) was invoked April 2 by President Donald Trump to expedite the manufacture and eventual distribution of supplies, especially ventilators, necessary to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The first step in getting the products — including surgical mask [...]
Union leaders call on FTA to set mandatory safety standards, ensure pay for frontline transit workers
April 8, 2020 The Honorable K. Jane Williams Acting Administrator Federal Transit Administration U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 Dear Acting Administrator Williams: First, we want to thank you and your staff for your hard work en [...]Representatives’ letter supports SMART-TD petition for COVID-19 safety measures
A bipartisan group of 14 members of Congress — seven Democrats and seven Republicans — pledged support to SMART Transportation Division’s petitions to the administrators of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) seeking protecti [...]
COVID-19: Form launched for reports of CDC protocols not being followed
CDC guidelines state that employers should do the following to prevent the spread of COVID-19: reduce transmission among employees, maintain healthy business operations, and maintain a healthy work environment. As transportation workers are considered to be essential workers, [...]Union leaders demand clarification from FRA on waivers
SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) President Dennis Pierce sought clarification today from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) after the agency granted 60-day emergency waiver requests t [...]What the COVID-19 bill means for our railroad members
On March 27, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that provides provisions favorable to SMART Transportation Division members as the nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The bill provides a $2 trillion relief package to the nation [...]