Category: News
Former Iowa SLD Crist died Nov. 7
Lawrence J. Crist, 91, died Nov. 7 at the Sioux City hospital in Sioux City, Iowa. Crist started his railroad career with the Illinois Central Railroad when he hired out as a brakeman and worked his way up to the position of conductor. A member of Local 493 in Waterloo, Iowa, [...]
2017 National Rail Agreement rate tables posted
The standard basic daily and mileage rates of pay negotiated under the new National Rail Agreement are now available on the SMART TD website. The rate tables pertain to employees in the crafts of conductor, yardman, yardmaster, brakeman and engineer who are covered by the nat [...]
RRB: Annuitants may need to increase tax withholding at 62
Certain portions of a railroad retirement annuity are treated differently for federal income tax purposes. The following questions and answers explain these differences and address the importance of individuals establishing accurate tax withholding from their annuities. Certa [...]
Safety setback: DOT repeals ECP brake rule
In a blow to safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) repealed a 2015 Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rule that required railroads to implement electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) braking technology on trains hauling hazardous flammable contents. “Clear [...]National Rail Agreement documents updated
A special webpage has been created for members to read and download various documents related to the newly ratified National Rail Agreement that was approved by SMART TD members on Dec. 1, 2017. Follow this link to view the signed agreements, questions and answers, a synopsis [...]SMART TD members ratify National Rail Agreement
By a margin of nearly four to one, SMART Transportation Division members have voted to APPROVE the new National Rail Contract. The voting was conducted by BallotPoint Election Services, who certified the following results for each craft eligible to vote: CRAFT ACCEPT REJECT C [...]
SMART TD’s Risch and others tell Congress not to forget carbon-capture tech
SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch, pictured, along with Bob Perciasepe, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, and D. Michael Langford, national president of the Utility Workers Union of America, in an op-ed piece publis [...]
Future member recovering after UTV accident
A ride on a UTV in September nearly turned fatal for Shane Leach when he severed an artery in his arm and nearly bled to death in the desert. While out with a friend, Leach’s vehicle tipped on a turn. It rolled onto his arm, pinning it between the UTV and the ground. About a [...]