News Archive
Services announced for Texas union leader Connie English
Retired Texas State Legislative Director Cornelius “Connie” M. English Jr., 74, died at his home of Congestive Heart Failure, Sat., Oct. 14. A veteran of the Army National Guard, English joined the Army in 1962 and was stationed in Ft. Polk, Louisiana; Bergstrom Air Force Bas [...]
Coordinated Bargaining Group condemns interference in its ratification process
On October 6, 2017, the six Rail Unions comprising the Coordinated Bargaining Group (CBG) announced that they had reached a Tentative National Agreement with the Nation’s Freight Rail Carriers. Shortly after that announcement, a Union belonging to a different bargaining coali [...]
GP Sellers Named to President’s Task Force On Apprenticeship Expansion
SMART General President Joseph Sellers was named today to serve on the President’s Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion. In June, President Trump signed an executive order expanding apprenticeship programs and vocational training at a White House ceremony. The execut [...]
REGISTER NOW: Sellers to hold first online town hall with members
SMART TD General President Joseph Sellers Jr. plans to hold an online town hall forum Nov. 2 to hear and respond to concerns and questions from members. Registration is required for this first of its kind event, scheduled 6:30-7 p.m. EST, Nov. 2. To sign up to participate in [...]Lac-Megantic testimony finds lack of safety culture at MMA
The Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) employee in charge of safety and training at the railroad testified that a minimum of nine handbrakes should have been used on the train that destroyed the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, in 2013. Michael Horan testified that only seven ha [...]
SMART TD against Trump’s nominee for Amtrak chair
SMART TD opposes the recent nomination of former U.S. Rep. Lynn A. Westmoreland of Georgia by the Trump administration to serve on the Board of Directors of Amtrak. As a longtime member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and H [...]
Rail Safety Alert: It is time to lead
In early 1998, a Federal task force was created to examine railroad switching fatalities. Coordinated by the FRA, this working group consisted of representatives from both rail labor and carrier industry management. For 22 months they poured over data from the 76 switching de [...]
Risch appears before STB, discusses excessive CSX train length
Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Transportation Division National Legislative Director John Risch appeared this morning (Wednesday, Oct. 11) before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) at a listening session about service disruptions caused by CSX’s [...]