Category: Statement
President Ferguson Puts Up 10K to Stop Racist Harassment At NS
Three years of racist radio attacks push Georgia crews to the limit, triggering a $10,000 reward and direct notice to Norfolk Southern leadership. Read on to see how SMART-TD is making it clear that WE will act, with or without the Railroad.
President Ferguson Responds to Washington Post
After the Washington Post criticized the Railway Safety Act of 2026, SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson responded with the railroaders’ perspective. Read on to see how he is setting the record straight on rail safety and why workers’ voices matter.
Merger Delay Does NOT Impact Jobs for Life Agreement
In September of 2025, SMART-TD announced a groundbreaking Jobs for Life agreement that protects our members from furloughs or downsizing after the merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Six months and a brief delay in the merger process later, these safeguards are still worth fighting for. Read on to learn what happens next in the process and how SMART-TD is continuing to advocate for long-term job security for our brothers and sisters.
Railroads Have Short Memories: East Palestine 3 Years Later
Ohio State Safety & Legislative Director Clyde Whitaker reflects on the 3rd anniversary of the East Palestine derailment with a powerful commentary. Despite new laws and promises, the railroads are still playing the same dangerous games with safety. Read on to see how crews are still being pressured to ignore defect detector warnings and keep trains moving, proving that profits continue to come before people.
Rail Safety Is Too Important For Corporate Discretion
A veteran Louisiana railroader dismantles the myth that safety mandates hurt efficiency, arguing from lived experience that federal rail safety rules exist because companies repeatedly choose profit over people when left to police themselves. Read on to see why rail workers, not think tanks or lobbyists, are the true experts on what it takes to keep crews and communities safe, and why the Rail Safety Act deserves a full vote in Congress.
Union Mourns the Loss of Brother Charles Harrison
For the second time in two weeks, our union is mourning the loss of one of our own. Brother Charles Harrison (Local 847, Birmingham, Alabama) was killed in an on-duty accident over the weekend. Read on for details.
FRA Doubles Our Risk By Reducing Track Inspections
The FRA’s late-Friday decision to cut required human track inspections in half directly increases the risk for rail workers, communities, and the national network by relying more heavily on automated systems that miss many defects trained inspectors routinely catch. Read on to see how SMART-TD National Safety & Legislative Director Jared Cassity explains the dangers of this rule change, the industry motives behind it, and why every railroad worker’s safety is now more at stake.