Category: Alumni Association
Labor Day – Thank your Union day
By John Risch, National Legislative Director, SMART Transportation Division Enjoy yourself this Labor Day weekend, provided you’re lucky enough to get the weekend off. In my 30 plus years working freight rail, I worked many a Labor Day weekend, but I am lucky to get this one [...]
Fundraiser set up for granddaughter of SMART TD member
A fundraiser for the newborn granddaughter of Scott Finley, SMART TD member and BNSF conductor with local 113, Winslow Ariz., was recently set up on YouCaring.com. Brenna Finley, daughter of Ariel and Sheldon Finley, was born on August 16, 2017, with multiple health issues. S [...]
RRB releases fall/winter conference schedule
The Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) released its Informational Conference Schedule for September – December 2017. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. and programs begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. and end at 12:15 p.m. at all locations. Click here for a list of conferences. Online r [...]New high-speed commuter rail in Conn. on target for 2018
According to NBCConnecticut.com, new speed-rail options for commuters in Connecticut will be available in spring of 2018, with additional routes planned for the cities of New Haven, Hartford and Springfield. Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy announced that TransitAmerica Ser [...]
Medicare to issue new cards in 2018 to protect identities of retirees
Whether a person is receiving Medicare through Social Security or through the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), the patient may be vulnerable to identity theft due to the SSN/RRB Claim number being present on their Medicare card. Soon, you won’t need to worry about someone obt [...]Rail workers died fighting for basic human rights: Anniversary of Railroad Strike of 1877
John Risch, SMART TD’s national legislative director, spoke with Jaisal Noor of realnews.com on the significance of the 140th anniversary of the first national railroad strike that began July 14, 1877, also known as the Great Railroad Strike and Great Upheaval. More tha [...]
AFL-CIO alert: Trump nominates anti-labor lawyers to National Labor Relations Board
On June 17, 2017, the AFL-CIO issued a legislative alert to U.S. Senators regarding Trump’s nomination of Marvin Kaplan and William Emanuel to fill the vacant seats on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In the alert, Emanuel is noted for representing the “ [...]
Airlines and Republicans place profit over safety; seek to cut pilot in-flight training hours
On July 6, 2017, the Chicago Tribune reported that regional airlines are working to reduce pilot in-flight training hours from the 1,500-hour requirement, through a provision that could be attached to the upcoming Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Bill. A [...]