News Archive
Colo. Southwest Chief funding in jeopardy
Funding to save the Southwest Chief did not make it into the budget proposed by the Colorado legislature this week, Colorado State Legislative Director Carl Smith reports. “We must now seek support from Gov. Hickenlooper and the Joint Budget Committee, which will review [...]President Obama Vetoes Anti-Worker Measure; Defends Balance In Union Elections
President Barack Obama vetoed a measure passed by the Republican-run Congress blocking the National Labor Relations Board from streamlining the process for union elections. The NLRB rule, set to take effect on April 14, would shorten the amount of time between when an electio [...]
CN/GTW members ratify retroactive agreement
SMART Transportation Division-represented conductors and trainmen employed by the Canadian National/Grand Trunk Western Railroad unanimously ratified a new six-year agreement March 17, Vice President Doyle Turner reports. The agreement provides for six annual wage increases r [...]Kansas City school bus operators, monitors get deal
The school bus operators and monitors of Local 1704 at Kansas City, Mo., have obtained a first contract with First Student, Inc., the operator of school bus service for the city’s school district. This is their first agreement under SMART Transportation Division representatio [...]
Certified Welders Are In Demand
The anticipated demand for skilled, certified welders in the U.S. in the next five years is staggering. The American Welding Society projects that by 2020 there will be a deficit of 290,000 skilled welders, which includes instructors, inspectors, and engineers. The opportunit [...]Foxx sends six-year transportation bill to Congress
WASHINGTON – Over the past year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has visited more than 100 communities and heard one common story – shared by all – about crumbling infrastructure and dwindling resources to fix it with. Secretary Foxx March 30 sent to Congress his s [...]BNSF adds new safety rules for crude oil trains
OMAHA – BNSF Railway Co. has started taking additional safety measures for crude oil shipments because of four recent high-profile derailments in the U.S. and Canada, the railroad said Monday. Under the changes, BNSF is slowing down crude oil trains to 35 mph in cities with m [...]