Conductor’s CPR effort saves passenger in distress

Swift and crucial response offered by a SMART Transportation Division member to a woman in distress on a passenger platform in South Florida Feb. 15 likely resulted in life-saving action by the Tri-Rail conductor. Thomas E. Baker, a member of Local 30 at Jacksonville, Fla., a [...]

Our union will only be as strong as we make it

By Joe Nigro, SMART General President –  The SMART General Executive Council met in Maryland the week of March 31 to April 4 to identify opportunities and challenges in developing a five-year plan to move SMART forward. Representatives from the Sheet Metal and Transportation [...]

N.M. Rail Runner Employees Dart to SMART

Non-union employees at a commuter rail operation in the state of New Mexico expressed interest in union representation and now they have it. Engineers, conductors and ticket agents working for New Mexico Rail Runner Express voted April 28-29 for representation by the SMART Tr [...]

Happy May Day

Today is May Day, International Workers’ Day and the equivalent of Labor Day for the rest of the world.  You can read more about its origins here.

Stop the House from weakening labor agreements

Next week, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider H.R. 4486, the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act. Amendments may be offered to this bill that seek to either weaken or repeal the Davis-Bacon Act, as well as to prohibit Project Labor Agreement [...]

Obama sends transportation bill to Congress

The Obama administration on Tuesday (April 29) sent a bill to Congress that aims to cover an expected shortage in money to spend on America’s bridges, roads and transit systems, but Republican opposition could prevent its passage. Funding for the four-year, $302 billion [...]

Train carrying oil derails in Virginia in fiery blast

A CSX Corp. train carrying crude oil derailed and burst into flames in downtown Lynchburg, Va., on Wednesday (April 30), spilling oil into the James River and forcing hundreds to evacuate. CSX said 15 cars on a train traveling from Chicago to Virginia derailed at 2:30 p.m. ED [...]