LSRC Says “Your safety isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on!”

Lake State Railroad (LSRC) is one of the newest members of the SMART-TD family, having secured its very first Collective Bargaining Agreement earlier this year. Our solidarity won LSRC’s workers fair wages, protections on the job, and a contract that reflects the dignity of their work. 

But being part of SMART-TD also means that when railroads try to skimp on safety, we bow up and fight back.  

Request to Remove Crew Room Injury Reports

LSRC recently petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a waiver to stop posting injury and work-related illness reports in the crew room. For decades, these reports have been taped to the wall where crews can see them, talk about them, and use them in job briefings. LSRC wants to make them “online only”. This is a move that shifts responsibility to workers to hunt down important safety information pertaining to hazards they may encounter that the railroad already has in hand. 

They’re willing to risk transparency and weaken safety culture for the sake of a few minutes of effort and a few pennies in paper and toner. That’s it.  

A Plague of Paperless Reports 

This isn’t new. Class I railroads like CSX have already requested, and in some cases, been granted the same waiver. An FRA docket this September attempted to eliminate the requirement across the entire industry. SMART-TD fought that nationwide push, and we are fighting this one, too.  

Wrong is wrong, no matter if it comes from a Class I giant or one of the smaller short lines in the country.  

Hiding safety data behind a login screen instead of posting it plainly in the crew room reduces visibility, dilutes accountability, and undermines the situational awareness that keeps us safe. 

A Local and National Response 

SMART-TD’s National Safety and Legislative Department, led by Director Jared Cassity and Deputy Director Don Roach, submitted strong objections to the FRA on behalf of all railroaders. Our public comment made it clear: safety postings are not for management—they are for workers. They should be in our crew rooms; where we gather, job brief, and look out for each other. 

Small Changes Have Large Impacts 

We don’t choose a fight based on whether we’re guaranteed a win, we choose fights that need to be fought. Whether we’re up against a Class I like CSX, or sticking up for a short-line like LSRC, we challenge any change that puts convenience or cost savings ahead of your safety. 

This union’s message to LSRC, the FRA, and the entire industry is simple: Our safety is worth more than the paper it’s printed on, and we WON’T let it be tossed aside!