News Archive
Local 61 loses second member to COVID-19
SMART Transportation Division Local 61 (Philadelphia, Pa.) has experienced the loss of a second member from the novel coronavirus. Brother Stephen McFadden, 51, of Philadelphia, and a SEPTA conductor, died April 30 from COVID-19. He had been a member of the union since Septem [...]
Class I carriers report 2020 first quarter earnings
Net Earnings: Decreased 5% to $1.19 billion. Revenue: Decreased 6% to $5.4 billion. Operating Income: Increased 2% to $1.8 billion. Operating Expenses:Decreased 6.7% to $3.6 billion. Operating Ratio: Improved by 4 points to 65.2%. Link to read BNSF’s full earnings repor [...]
NS idles yard in N.C.; UP an engine shop in Ark.
In a move that carrier officials said was in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, Norfolk Southern has idled the hump yard at Linwood Terminal in North Carolina, costing more than 80 people their jobs. NS told Trains Magazine May 1 that the “unforeseeable business circums [...]
Presidential Assistant Horvath retiring
After nearly four decades of service to members and numerous administrations in various roles in both SMART Transportation Division’s Public Relations and President’s Department, Senior Administrative Assistant to the President John Horvath is calling it a career. Starting Ma [...]
Local 281 S&T talks working at Metra during pandemic
Demetrios Vatistas, secretary and treasurer for SMART Transportation Division Local 281 (Milwaukee, Wis.), discussed working as a Metra conductor during the coronavirus pandemic with a Chicago-area newspaper. Vatistas has been S&T for his local since February 2019 and a T [...]
Remembering Those We Lost
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, SMART mourns the deaths of those members who put their lives on the line during this global crisis. It is important for us to work together during this crisis to prevent further deaths while thanking those doing the work to maintain our nat [...]
National Disease Control Standard for U.S. Construction Sites
The North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training released a new national standard for infectious disease exposure control practices for U.S. construction sites. These guidelines aim to prevent disease, disability a [...]