News Archive
SMART members in Indiana pay tribute to trailblazing suffragist
Two SMART members were present to pay tribute to a trailblazing Indiana woman honored for her role in fighting for women’s right to vote in the early 20th century. A statue honoring suffragist Mary Stuart Edwards was unveiled Aug. 26 in Peru, Ind., in a ceremony attended by L [...]PLA Victory Comes After Years of Hard Work
In 1999, when the Navy abandoned the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California, it became a great opportunity zone for the Concord community to grow and flourish. As early as 2005, SM Local 104 had been involved in the city of Concord’s process to imagine and develop the fu [...]Death of AFL-CIO President Trumka mourned by U.S. labor; Liz Shuler succeeds him at federation’s helm
Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, which represents 12.5 million union members and 56 unions, passed away Aug. 5, 2021, at the age of 72.His death marks the passing of a legendary figure in the history of the labor movement. Brother Trumka devoted his life to working p [...]
Statement from SMART on Build Back Better Framework
Washington, DC—Last week, Congress unveiled a significantly scaled back version of the reconciliation bill. In response, SMART issued the following statement. “This bill represents significant progress for working people and will create good union jobs. This l [...]
Peter DeFazio introduces bill to protect workers, passengers from harm on transit
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, introduced the Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act (H.R. 5706) Oct. 25, legislation to help protect passengers and personnel from sexual assault and [...]
Unions counter Norfolk Southern COVID vaccine mandate
CLEVELAND, Ohio, (Oct. 29, 2021) — The Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have responded to the suit Norfolk Southern Railway [...]Unions file for injunctions against Norfolk Southern
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Oct. 28, 2021) — The SMART Transportation Division (SMART–TD) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) escalated their fight against Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) to stop the railroad from forcing locomotive engineers to work as conductors, [...]
Member of Local 807 dies from COVID-19
Brother Tony Carbajal, a member of Local 807 (Tucson, Ariz.), passed away Oct. 27, 2021, from COVID-19 at the age of 51. He joined the union in 2004 and worked as a conductor for Union Pacific for more than 17 years. “Tony was well-liked and respected by his co-workers [...]