News Archive
Media attention drawn as TD members weigh strike against Alaskan tourist carrier
The potential for a work stoppage on the White Pass & Yukon (WP&Y) Route, a tourist railroad that operates between Alaska and Canada, has drawn the attention of media in Alaska as the results of a strike authorization vote are awaited. SMART Transportation Division me [...]
SMART General President Mike Coleman joins retired General President Joseph Sellers to discuss megaprojects, rail safety and much more
Ahead of former SMART General President Sellers’ retirement, he sat down with General President Coleman to discuss Sellers’ career, his proudest accomplishments, Coleman’s priorities as general president and the future of SMART. “It’s been a grea [...]
SMART-TD takes action to defend transit worker safety
June 26, 2023, was the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) deadline for the public to respond to their Notice of Public Rule Making (NPRM) on forming new Public Transportation Agency Safety Plans (PTASPs.) FTA requested public comments on how to keep bus operators safe on [...]
Dangerous air quality underscores the importance of high-quality HVAC systems
Communities across the nation are once again facing a dangerous air quality crisis due to smoke emanating from the Canadian wildfires. As people across North America seek refuge indoors, it is crucial to understand that the smoke and pollutants from the wildfires can easily i [...]
Pa. group releases ad seeking action on rail safety legislation
The Rebuilding American Values action group in collaboration with the SMART Transportation Division Pennsylvania State Legislative Board has put its resources forth to support rail safety legislation being considered in the Pa. Senate. The result is a radio ad being broadcast [...]
Strike vote to commence on White Pass & Yukon RR
SMART Transportation Division-represented members from Local 1626 (Anchorage, Alaska) on the White Pass and Yukon Route will begin electronic voting tonight on whether to authorize a strike against the carrier. Negotiations with the tourist railroad have been open since the e [...]
Lesson 1 from Day 1 of NTSB hearing: East Palestine response shows there’s room for improvement
During the first day of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing on Norfolk Southern’s East Palestine, Ohio, derailment that happened Feb. 3, the importance of sharing information and communications in the wake of a rail disaster was brought into clear focus. F [...]
STB decision orders BNSF to haul Powder River coal
By a 3-2 majority June 23, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) ruled in favor of Navajo Transitional Energy Co. (NTEC), ordering BNSF to fulfill its common-carrier obligation to serve the Powder River Basin energy producer and transport 4.2 million tons of coal. NTEC filed [...]