Category: Regulations
Real Consequences for Virtual Reality
Railroads are asking the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to let them swap video games for required hands-on training. Read on to see how this push to lower safety standards shifts liability onto workers and why our union is urging the FRA to reject the petitions and keep REAL training in place.
BNSF Seeks Dangerous RCO Waiver
BNSF has asked the FRA for permission to weaken safety for our RCO operators. Read on for details on the latest example of profits over people and how SMART-TD responded.
Important DOT Drug Testing Notice Affects Members
While President Donald Trump did issue an Executive Order rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug, this does not change drug testing practices or restrictions for transportation personnel. Read on for details on what SMART-TD members need to know.
CSX Asks to keep Safety Reports out of the Crew Rooms, Injuries are Up, Fatalities Continue, and Transparency is Down
CSX was granted a waiver in 2020 on the condition they would ensure easy access to accident and injury reports with their employees. They didn’t. They haven’t. And they had five years to get it right. Now they want another 5-year pass to keep these reports buried in an electronic system that, as every railroader already knows, most crew members cannot easily access while on duty. Read on to see how, with our members’ help, SMART-TD shared the real story about CSX safety culture with the FRA.
SMART-TD to FAA: Keep Drones Out of Our Rail Yards
Railroaders know that our rail yards are no place for drones or distractions. Read on to see how SMART-TD made our case to the FAA to get these dangerous gadgets out of our members’ workplaces once and for all.
Cheaper to Burn Bridges than Inspect Them: Documentary Reveals Railroad Negligence
A new hard-hitting video from the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism reveals how the railroads’ widespread neglect of their bridges put our communities at risk and why that problem is about to get much worse if we don’t do something to stop it. Read on to see what we can do to spread the word.
East Palestine Documentary Emphasizes Fight for Rail Safety
A short documentary by independent filmmaker John Russell and the non-profit newsroom More Perfect Union exposes how corporate cost-cutting and regulatory failures led to the Norfolk Southern derailment disaster, emphasizing the deadly consequences of sidelining frontline railroaders. Watch "We Went Back to East Palestine: It’s Worse Than You Think" and see how it underscores SMART TD’s ongoing fight for stronger rail safety laws.
Nebraska Reforms Standards for Rail Crew Transportation
We tell our kids not to get into a stranger’s car because they might be a drug addict or a sex offender, but it turns out our Railroaders need to take that same advice when getting into Railroad-provided crew cabs! Read on to see how Nebraska SLD Andy Foust fought to clean up the rules that regulate who can be hired to drive crew vans in his state. SMART-TD is now working to make similar changes nationwide.