Category: Washington
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.
Sens Josh Hawley and Tammy Baldwin Prove Again Why SMART-TD Endorsed
A bipartisan rail safety push is gaining momentum from Senators Josh Hawley and Tammy Baldwin after the introduction of the Secure Tracks Act. Read on to learn how this bill aims to ensure automation is a tool for railroaders but not a replacement!
New Railroad Safety Enhancement Act Builds Momentum
Bipartisan rail safety bills are advancing in both chambers of Congress as the House’s Railroad Safety Enhancement Act builds on the Senate bill locking 2-PC requirements, and many more safeguards for railroaders into federal law. Read on to see how momentum for rail safety could translate into long-sought federal protections, and why your support will be what gets it across the finish line.
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.
Senate Hearing Highlights the Good, the Bad, and The Ugly of RRB
Railroad Retirement remains a strong and valuable system, but chronic underfunding of the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) itself is creating unacceptable service delays that directly harm railroaders and their families. Read on to see the result of this week’s Senate Committee Hearing on the current state of the RRB.
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.