Category: Washington
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 “ [...]House Appropriations Committee releases details of 2018 transportation funding bill
On July 10, the House Appropriations Committee released the fiscal year 2018 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding bill, which includes funding for the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other related agenci [...]
N.Y. Reps. Suozzi and King address SMART TD
On Monday, July 10, 2017, U.S. Congressmen from the State of New York, Rep. Tom Suozzi (D) and Rep. Peter King (R), addressed SMART TD members and officers at the Eastern Regional Meeting in New York City, Suozzi at the morning opening session and King at the lunch reception. [...]
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 [...]
Trump persists in ending long-distance Amtrak train service
Instead of working to upgrade long-distance transportation services, and ignoring his promise to invest in American infrastructure, Trump is working to end long-distance train travel. According to an article posted on July 3, 2017, in the San Francisco Chronicle, if TrumpR [...]
SMART TD voices concerns about accuracy of FRA’s proposed locomotive simulation studies
On June 30, SMART TD’s legislative office submitted comments to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Information Collection Request regarding two FRA research studies on locomotive technology and automation. SMART TD urged the FRA to consider the critical factors o [...]
National Mediation Board announces new Chairperson
The National Mediation Board (NMB) announced that Harry Hoglander, NMB board member since 2002, has been designated as the new Chairman of the NMB, effective immediately. Read the NMB press release, here: July 5, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD Contact: NM [...]
SMART TD’S Risch: Longer Freight Trains Carry Safety Concerns
As freight trains grow longer, so do safety concerns. According to an article posted by the Omaha World-Herald on July 2, carriers are looking to increase their bottom line by running as many as 142 cars on one freight train—but at what risk? The article noted that in just t [...]