Tired freight rail employees? You bet

A short quiz for you. If you had anything to do with the safe movement of a 10,000 ton freight train, does it make sense for you to routinely show up to work tired? Hint: NO. That’s the problem we have today in the freight rail industry. Too many tired employees are involved [...]

UP recognized for commitment to veteran hiring

OMAHA, Neb. – Profiles in Diversity Journal recently recognized Union Pacific as one of the nation’s 25 Most Influential Companies for Veteran Hiring. The only railroad on the list, Union Pacific was selected for its commitment to veteran hiring, progressive reservist p [...]

Clinton Energizes Building Trades Conference

Story provided by Steve Cooper at We Party Patriots Addressing a crowd already energized from powerful speeches by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, surprise speaker Bill Clinton made clear his position on job-creat [...]

Use of public transit at highest level since 1956

PHILADELPHIA – More Americans used buses, trains and subways in 2013 than in any year since 1956 as service improved, local economies grew and travelers increasingly sought alternatives to the automobile for trips within metropolitan areas, the American Public Transportation [...]

BNSF crude cars spur $5 billion safety spat

A push by Warren Buffett’s railroad to boost oil-shipment safety is meeting resistance from Hess Corp. and other companies that say the plan would mean a surge in costs and force them to scrap thousands of tank cars. A series of accidents including a Quebec crash that killed [...]

SOFA urges diligence in late winter conditions

Representatives of the SMART Transportation Division’s Switching Operations Fatality Analysis Working Group (SOFA) urge railroad operating employees in northern states to exercise a heightened level of caution while working in late winter weather conditions.  Minnesota State [...]

SMART Constitution complete, we are moving forward

By John Previsich, SMART Transportation Division President –  2014 is shaping up to be a remarkable year in the history of our union. The SMART constitution is now finalized and we are moving forward with the ongoing effort to merge our two organizations into one. For those w [...]

NTSB to hold forum on crude oil, ethanol by rail

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a two-day public forum next month on the safety of moving crude oil and ethanol by rail, the agency said Thursday. The NTSB has been warning for years that a common type of railroad tank car, known as the DOT-111, was not sui [...]