Category: Transportation
Rail Safety Act of 2023 (RSA) passes committee hearing, clears first legislative hurdle
The RSA, which was born from the East Palestine derailment and contains two-person crew language, cleared its first major hurdle today when it passed through the Senate’s Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The bill’s passage through committee was not without con [...]
In memoriam: David Colelli, Local 206
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Brother David Colelli of Local 206 (Peru, Indiana), who passed away on May 5, 2023, at the age of 46. Brother Colelli lived in the service of his family, both at work and in his personal life. Colelli, an 18-year member o [...]
Series of coalition building meetings has successful kick-off in Cleveland
Brother Arin Johnson of SMART Local 194 (Elkhart, Indiana) kicked off his series of coalition building meetings in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday, May 3rd. Johnson’s vision of bringing members from multiple carriers together to discuss best practices and form a clear idea of wh [...]
ProPublica reports: “As Rail Profits Soar, Blocked Crossings Force Kids to Crawl Under Trains to Get to School”
For ProPublica, a nonprofit newsroom, Topher Sanders and Dan Schwartz (ProPublica), Joce Sterman (Gray Television/InvestigateTV), Scotty Smith (Gray Television/InvestigateTV) (video) and Jamie Kelter (ProPublica) (photography) recently reported: “Jeremiah Johnson couldn [...]
Defense of our bus operators is needed
SMART–TD is proud to represent the men and women driving the buses in America. The vast majority of our bus operators are assigned to fixed routes and drive 40–50-foot buses which require a Commercial Driver’s License, (CDL). These norms are and always have been the sta [...]
SMART-TD Local 1594 hosts productive meetings with TD leadership
Local #1594 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, represents roughly 300 SMART-TD members working for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) in bus service, commuter rail, and trolley service. The size of this local and the diversity in its [...]
Pa. rail-safety bill passes through committee
By a 19-2 vote, the Pennsylvania House Consumer Protection, Technologies and Utilities Committee advanced its comprehensive rail safety bill, H.B. 1028, out of committee May 3. “This is a starting point,” said Republican Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Marshall (Distr [...]Pa. bill covering crew size, train length and detectors heads for committee vote
Looking to follow in the footsteps of Ohio, Pennsylvania’s Legislature has before it a comprehensive rail safety bill covering train length, two-person crews and wayside detectors. H.B. 1028 was introduced by 24 representatives April 25 with the House Consumer Protection, Tec [...]