President Ferguson Meets with SMART-TD Members at 3rd Annual Carolina Solidarity Shoot

ELLERBE, N.C. — SMART Transportation Division members from North and South Carolina came together for the third annual Carolina Solidarity Shoot at DeWitt’s Sporting Clays in Ellerbe, North Carolina. What started as a modest gathering has grown each year, becoming a hallmark of solidarity, fellowship, and team-building for rail and bus members alike. 

Organized by the Safety and Legislative Boards from both states, the event was spearheaded by State Legislative Directors (SLDs) Ron Ingerick of North Carolina and Will Ferguson of South Carolina. Locals 1715 and 1596 representing Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) operators and mechanics, respectively, both had a strong presence at the event. 

President Ferguson Seeks Individual Member Feedback

SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson took part in the shoot, then sat down with members to hear their views about various issues. His one-on-one conversations covered the ongoing national negotiations and what our members are looking for in the next agreement, ensuring that every member’s perspective could be heard firsthand. 

Shotgun Raffle Promotes DIPP Job Insurance 

Brother Matt Tolliver (Local 1601, Appalachia, VA) represented SMART-TD’s Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) at the event by hosting a gun raffle for members. Any SMART-TD brother or sister who already held a DIPP policy or who signed up for one at the event was automatically entered to win a shotgun.  

Mark Steverson, a conductor out of Local 782 (Asheville, NC) off the Norfolk Southern railroad, went home with a new Browning 28-inch, 12 Gauge Pump-action shotgun!   

We’d also like to congratulate Brother J.P Hancock out of Local 1011 (Hamlet, NC). 

Brother Hancock, who is a conductor on CSX, won the bragging rights for this year’s shoot, nailing down the best score of the day. J.P. may have hit the most targets, but everyone involved walked away a winner from this year’s Solidarity Shoot!    

Representatives from American Journey Financial Life (formerly UTUIA), the SMART-TD Auxiliary, and the National Safety and Legislative Department, including Director Jared Cassity and Deputy Director Don Roach were in attendance.

Building Bridges Across State Lines 

For SLDs Ingerick and Ferguson, the Carolina Solidarity Shoot has always been about more than clay targets. They share a vision to bring members of both Carolinas together for camaraderie, family-friendly fun, and open lines of communication.  

Each year that vision becomes a stronger reality, with members and their families forming relationships that carry forward into their daily union work. 

“SLD Ferguson, my counterpart in South Carolina, and I are very excited about the effect these Solidarity Shoots are having in our states,” Ron Ingerick, North Carolina’s state safety and legislative director, explained. “We came up with the idea to try to build lines of communication between our state boards. The result has been bigger than that. Our locals are working together on a new level, our members are having their thoughts and concerns heard directly by the president of our Union and the heads of our National Safety and Legislative Department. This event has taken on a life of its own over the past three years. 

“On top of all that, it is a good opportunity to take a step back and reconnect with each other. We are all brothers and sisters in this union, and it is good to have a chance to relax and have a good time together. It’s important to remember why we are all in this fight and who we are fighting with and for.”  

The third annual event showed once again that the Carolina Solidarity Shoot is achieving its goals: unifying members, strengthening state board cooperation, and giving members a direct channel to leadership at both the state and national levels.