Category: Transportation
President Ferguson requests FRA emergency order over air brake valves
SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson has requested that the Federal Railroad Administration issue an emergency order to carriers that train car valves prone to leakage during cold temperatures be replaced and/or repaired immediately. “The FRA and the AAR ha [...]
Detroit-area U.S. Steel mill trims operations, 1,500 jobs lost
The tariff strategy was not enough to preserve the jobs of 1,500 steel workers in the Detroit area who are being laid off by U.S. Steel. The Great Lakes Works in Ecorse and River Rouge, Mich., will have three portions of its operations drawn down with iron and steelmaking ope [...]
Ohio members: Contact commissioners to get GOP reps aboard H.B. 186!
Ohio State Legislative Director Stuart Gardner reports that we need some activism to push H.B. 186, which is comprehensive railroad safety legislation, over the line and out of the Ohio House Transportation and Public Safety Committee. First, he is seeking photos of example o [...]
Member input leads to access to life-saving emergency training
When an accident occurs and one of our members is on site — be it a bus operator or rail conductor — it often falls on that SMART Transportation Division member to provide assistance as the FIRST responder to the situation. The member must assess and relay information about t [...]
Union Pacific reports full PTC implementation on its trackage
Class I carrier Union Pacific announced Monday that it has completed implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC) on all federally mandated freight and passenger routes requiring the collision avoidance technology. The carrier still must achieve full interoperability, that [...]
TD Local 1386 member killed in accident
SMART Transportation Division member Curtis C. McConihay of Local 1386 (Parkersburg, W.Va.) was killed in an accident on CSX property in Washington, W.Va., on Saturday. Brother McConihay, 32, was a U.S. Marine veteran and lived in Southside, W.Va., with his wife, Megan, and t [...]
RRB Q&A: Working after retirement
Retirees, and those planning retirement, should be aware of the Railroad Retirement laws and rules governing benefit payments to annuitants who work after retirement. The following questions and answers describe these Railroad Retirement work restrictions and earnings limitat [...]
Rally Sunday in Iowa in support of Safe Freight Act
Legislative Representative Jordan Boone of Local 445 (Niota, Ill.) reports that National Legislative Director Greg Hynes will be speaking Sunday at a rally in support of the Safe Freight Act (H.R. 1748/S.1979) national two-person crew legislation. The rally is scheduled to be [...]