News Archive
Halt the neglect of transportation infrastructure
SMART Transportation Division President Mike Futhey and Assistant President John Previsich this week joined the leaders of other AFL-CIO affiliate unions at the organization’s annual winter meeting. They also meet separately with members of the organization’s Transportation T [...]
Congress must advance plan for Amtrak
ORLANDO, Fla. – As lawmakers prepare to debate passenger rail reauthorization, leaders of AFL-CIO transportation unions are calling on Congress to set a long-term future for Amtrak that meets the demands of a growing ridership, invests in the railroad’s decaying equipment an [...]Engineer says cell phone not factor in crash
The engineer of one of two ore trains that crashed head-on just outside of Two Harbors, Minn., in 2010 is taking issue with the National Transportation Safety Board report on the accident, disputing that cell phone use by the train crews was a relevant factor. In an exclusive [...]FRA issues new report on fatigue
The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a new report on the status of fatigue among railroad industry employees. In 2001, the FRA began examining the fatigue status of safety-critical railroad employees by using logbooks to collect work and sleep data over a period of [...]
With elections past, our work begins
By James Stem, National Legislative Director – As a new Congress begins its largely partisan struggles, which are sometimes difficult to understand and frequently disturbing, the job of the National Legislative Office is to convince lawmakers that the legislative agenda of S [...]Healthy drivers are happy drivers
Healthy drivers are happy drivers As the year kicks off, I must ask you: “How are you doing?” “I am healthy and happy” is the answer I’d love to hear, but, sadly, it’s the answer I hear less and less. Consider our work schedules, and the nature of our jobs: We s [...]