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CN hostlers get new five-year deal

SMART Transportation Division-represented hostlers employed by the Canadian National Railway have ratified a new five-year agreement by a unanimous majority. The agreement provides for wage increases, back pay and health and welfare benefits that mirror the 2011 UTU National [...]

NLC offers ‘train-the-trainer’ hazmat course

The Rail Workers Hazardous Materials Training Program prides itself on delivering the most valuable worker safety training available. Peer instructors are members of the railroad labor community and take pride in offering the latest and most up-to-date information, teaching t [...]

Lautenberg to ride rails one last time

Long an advocate for the region’s train system, Sen. Frank Lautenberg will ride the rails one last time on the way to his final resting place in Arlington National Cemetery. Funeral ceremonies for Lautenberg will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Park Avenue Synagogue in [...]

Sprinter train ops race to SMART TD

The train operators at the Sprinter Rail Facility in Escondido, Calif., chose SMART Transportation Division representation in a May 28 vote. In a unanimous vote, the Sprinter operators opted for representation under the SMART umbrella. The Sprinter line is a 22-mile long ligh [...]

Judge frees coal company to eliminate benefits

In a May 29 decision long dreaded by union coal miners, a bankruptcy court in St. Louis agreed that Patriot Coal has the right to void its collective bargaining agreements and cancel its pension and retirement obligations to 20,000 workers and family members. The United Mine [...]

Conn. senators call for national rail trust fund

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — A trust fund should be established to ensure the upkeep and safety of the nation’s rail system, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Wednesday, labeling the recent derailment in Connecticut and other accidents a call to action. Blumenthal, fellow U.S. Sen. Ch [...]