News Archive
Red Cross: Urgent Need for Assistance
In a letter to the North American Building Trades, the National Red Cross from across North America are in urgent need of blood and plasma. According to the letter: “At this moment, the Red Cross is having a difficult time in finding places to set up and perform collec [...]
Members’ efforts help to cope with COVID-19
As COVID-19 has spread across the country, some carriers and businesses have been caught flat-footed in dealing with the pandemic as indicated by field reports we’ve received from members. The same cannot be said for front-line SMART Transportation Division members who have s [...]
RRB: Coronavirus Relief Act impacts railroad workers
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, signed into law March 27, boosts unemployment and sickness benefits for railroad workers impacted by the pandemic. Under the CARES Act, the 1-week waiting period required before railroad workers can receive [...]
Non-RRB members: FAQ On Unemployment Insurance Benefits Under COVID-19 Relief & One-Time Direct Payments
Topics Covered: I. ONE-TIME, DIRECT PAYMENT TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES II. EMERGENCY UI BENEFITS UNDER CARES ACT III. THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR UI BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY FOR UI BENEFITS AMOUNT OF INCREASED UI BENEFITS UNDER THE CARES ACT RELATIONSHIP TO EMERGENCY PAID SIC [...]
Victory in Washington as governor signs bill
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law H.B. 1841, a two-person crew bill that was championed in various forms for seven years by SMART-TD Washington State Legislative Director Herb Krohn and the other members of the state’s legislative board. Affectionately known as [...]How COVID-19 bill affects bus and transportation workers
On March 27, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law the CARES Act that provides provisions favorable to SMART Transportation Division bus and transportation members as the nation continues to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The bill provides a $2 trillion [...]
New Jersey AFL-CIO has COVID-19 resources available
New Jersey State Legislative Director Ron Sabol reports that the state AFL-CIO has established a clearinghouse to provide people with state-specific information about the COVID-19 pandemic. Sabol has been working closely with the AFL-CIO to distribute information to members, [...]
Talking SMART: Ep. 2 Looks At SMART-Union Response to COVID-19
In the second episode of Talking SMART, we talk with SMART leadership about the impact the COVID-19 crisis is having on our members and their jobs, as well as how SMART is mobilizing across the United States and Canada to help and support members and communities in need. We f [...]