Support Brother Michael Garcia After a Tragic Loss

The SMART-TD family is heartbroken to share that Brother Mike Garcia of Local 1422 (Los Angeles, California) and his wife, Tamara Ortiz, lost their three beloved children Cole (17), Trent (15), and Sailor (10) in a car accident. Their lives were taken far too soon, leaving a deep void in the hearts of their family, friends, and community. 

Brother Garcia is a dedicated railroader with 10 years at Union Pacific and currently serves as the 2nd Vice Local Chairman of Local 1422. In Southern California’s railroading community, Mike is known as a pillar of strength and someone his brothers and sisters can always depend on. Today, he and his family need that same strength and support returned. 

Donate Here 

Support for Tamara Ortiz’s Heartbreaking Loss – GoFundMe 

As Mike and Tamara process their overwhelming grief and work to support their two surviving children through this painful time, they are also facing the tremendous burden of planning and paying for three memorial services. Due to the circumstances, Mike has understandably had to step away from his duties at the railroad, leaving the family with a significant financial strain on top of their emotional heartbreak. 

In the spirit of union solidarity and compassion, the leadership of SMART-TD Local 1422 is calling upon our SMART-TD brothers and sisters to lend their support. A GoFundMe page has been established to help cover the final expenses and memorial services for Cole, Trent, and Sailor. 

We urge you to give what you can and share this message far and wide. No donation is too small. Together, we can help ease the burden for a family that has given so much to our union and our community. 

Let us rally around Brother Garcia and his family with the same compassion, strength, and unity that he has shown us time and again. This is what being a union means. We stand in solidarity through it all.