News Archive
Furloughed members may be entitled to benefits
In light of the recent furloughs by Union Pacific and BNSF railroads, below is a Q&A offered by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) addressing common questions about unemployment benefits. To be eligible for unemployment benefits from the RRB, furloughed members must have [...]Sen. Sherrod Brown pushes bill for safer oil tankers
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D. – Ohio) on Wednesday called for doing more to better protect Ohio communities by removing the older railcars transporting hazardous materials. “We’ve seen too many derailments of trains with unsafe cars, often carrying crude oil and other haz [...]Feds say rule on oil train reporting permanent
The Federal Railroad Administration said Wednesday that train companies must continue reporting crude oil routes and volumes to state authorities concerned about derailments and fires. The interim regulation requiring notification will become permanent. Oil-hauling railroads [...]Rail conductor, engineer discuss train safety
MPR news interviewed Vice General Chairperson of Union Pacific GO 225 Randy Raskin and Minnesota State Legislative Director Phil Qualy, both of Local 650 (Minneapolis), during an ongoing series of conversations about rail safety in Minnesota. MPR News’ Tom Weber intervi [...]
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At the First SMART General Convention in 2014, leaders pledged more efficient operations as well as to be more transparent, accountable and responsive to members. A communications survey is helping to fulfill those promises.Early in 2015, SMART polled members on outreach toda [...]President Obama Announces PEB 248 in NJT Dispute
On July 17, President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to investigate and to make recommendations for settlement of the current disputes between the New Jersey Transit Rail and the NJT Rail Labor Coalition.The Executive Order esta [...]