News Archive
Patrick W. Simmons passes away, former SLD, Ill.
The following statement was issued June 1 by current SMART TD Illinois State Legislative Director Robert W. Guy: It is with great sadness to announce the passing of former UTU Illinois State Director and longtime UTU member Patrick W. Simmons, who passed away this past Monday [...]
On Average, Non-Union Construction Workers In Southern States Receive Substandard Compensation
A new study has found that construction workers across the southern United States receive little to no employment benefits and have relatively low pay. The Workers Defense Project report found that 40% of construction workers in Houston had no health insurance, retirement sav [...]
Former UTU VP Bruce Wigent dies
Bruce Robert Wigent, 73, of Prescott, Wis., died Wednesday, May 25 at United Hospital. A member of Local 1709 in Pontiac, Mich., Wigent hired out as a switchman on the Grand Trunk Western Railroad in December 1964. He was first elected as a local officer in 1970 and then serv [...]
Thank a veteran: in honor and remembrance of all who served
SMART TD honors and remembers the men and women of our United States military, whose immeasurable sacrifice on behalf of our country will never be forgotten.
Trumka: President Trump’s budget betrays working people
On May 23, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka released a statement on how President Trump’s FY2018 budget proposal favors the top one percent and hurts working Americans. Trumka described Trump’s proposal as a “blueprint for how to rig the rules of the economy to f [...]L.A. Metro bus ridership continues to drop
The Los Angeles Times reported that service-related issues, such as route elimination and ineffective scheduling, may be the main reasons for the steady decrease in bus ridership in Los Angeles. Read the complete article here.After Trump delays federal funds for Caltrain, project back on track
The Washington Examiner reported that the Caltrain electrification project, stalled for months by the Trump administration, is now back on track and moving forward. The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) is expected to approve the entire funding agreement. Click her [...]Crew van bill becomes law in Wash. state
After a prolonged five-year battle against the railroad carriers’ opposition to legislation to ensure the safety of their own employees; ESHB 1105, the number one priority of the SMART TD Washington State Legislative Board, was finally enacted into statute law May 16, w [...]