News Archive
TD leaders meet with DeFazio about carriers’ and agencies’ lax COVID-19 response
WASHINGTON, D.C. – SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy R. Ferguson and National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes met with U.S. Rep. and Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) earlier this week, alerting him to carriers’ inadequate effor [...]
Talking-SMART Ep. 4: COVID-19, Stimulus, Canadian Response, Shipyards and Procuring PPEs
In the fourth episode of Talking SMART, we continue our focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on our members and their communities, and how SMART is mobilizing across North America to help members stay informed and be safe at home and on the job during this crisis. Our f [...]
Update on nose piece requests
SMART sheet metal union members are working with contractors to produce and donate metal nose pieces for the millions of face masks being made by volunteers across the United States and Canada. If you are a member of a volunteer group providing masks to first responders or he [...]
Broad alliance tells White House: Transit workers need better protection from COVID-19
SMART General President Joseph Sellers Jr. and SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson as well as dozens of unions, business groups, economic justice organizations, and local transit advocates from across the nation wrote today to Vice President Mike Pence and [...]
Local 23 mourns death of retired former S&T from COVID-19
Members of Local 23 in Santa Cruz, Calif., are mourning the passing of Transportation Division retiree Domingo Tovar on April 14 from COVID-19. Brother Tovar, 68, served two stints with Santa Cruz Metro as a bus operator starting in 1982, then leaving for another carrier befo [...]
Vendor American Products taking bulk orders of facemasks
Arrangements have been made to have bulk quantities of facemasks for order through American Products Inc., an endorsed SMART Transportation Division vendor. Two style options are available – one with a washable filter insert and a second single-layer cloth mask. These are cus [...]
Some Railroad Retirement recipients must add dependent info with IRS to get $500 COVID payments
Railroad Retirement benefit recipients who have a qualifying child and didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 tax return have a limited window to register to have $500 per eligible child added automatically to their soon-to-be-received $1,200 COVID-19 payment, the Internal Revenue [...]
America’s freight railroads refuse to cover out-of-pocket COVID-19 treatment costs
While America and the world struggle to combat the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, new heroes have emerged. While much of America has long celebrated its athletes and celebrities as its heroes, this pandemic has shown us who the real heroes are in our society. At the onset of Wo [...]