Tag: SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson

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As we move forward in these changing times, one thing is clear: Standing together is our greatest strength. A hallmark of our union is that our members have always faced challenges head-on. While we continue to address evolving issues in our industry, we are also seeing progress, particularly when it comes to improving safety for our members.

A step forward in bus safety

A shining example of what we can accomplish through collaboration is unfolding in Philadelphia, Pa. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of SMART and BTAPS, a pilot project is underway that equips SEPTA bus operators with bulletproof, glare-resistant full enclosures. These enclosures are designed to enhance the safety of our operators, protecting them from potential threats while maintaining clear visibility for safe driving. This success underscores what we can achieve when our local leaders and the International work in unison to protect our members.

Our goal is to expand this life-saving initiative to all SEPTA buses and beyond, ensuring that bus operators across the country benefit from this enhanced safety. This project is not just a win for Philadelphia; it’s a model of what’s possible when we prioritize safety and work together to bring about real change.

Staying strong through education and unity

Our ability to advance and protect our members’ interests lies in knowledge and preparation. That’s why we are urging all local officers to take full advantage of the Regional Training Seminars being offered this year. These seminars provide valuable tools and information that empower our local officers to navigate the complexities of our industry while staying informed about our members’ rights and how to effectively fight for them.

The first seminar in Dallas, Texas, was a resounding success, with over 180 brothers and sisters in attendance. Three more opportunities remain this year. They are in Denver, Colo.; Anaheim, Calif.; and Atlanta, Ga. These events are more than just training sessions; they are platforms for building stronger lines of communication and fostering the solidarity that makes our union so effective.

Challenges remain, but so does our resolve

While we celebrate our wins, we remain aware of the challenges that persist. Discussions about privatizing Amtrak and the push for autonomous freight trains are ongoing concerns that we are closely monitoring. We also continue to address the impacts of decisions like the closure of critical Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) offices, which affect the services our members rely on.

However, instead of dwelling on these obstacles, we are focused on solutions. Through strategic planning and a unified approach, we can protect the future of our industry and safeguard the dignity and livelihoods of our members.

A call to action: Build on our momentum

We stand at a crossroads where we have a choice — to allow challenges to divide us or to come together and shape a stronger future. The victories we have achieved, like the SEPTA bus operator enclosures, show that collective action works. By building on this momentum, we can continue to secure meaningful wins for our members.

From the local level all the way to SMART General President Michael Coleman, our leadership is committed to this mission. In a world that continues to change, we know where we stand. When we are united in knowledge, strength and purpose, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Brothers and Sisters,

As you all know, 2024 was an eventful year for SMART-TD. Upwards of 90% of our freight rail members now have paid sick leave, and two-person crews are now federally protected across the country. 2024 also saw SMART-TD work with rail carriers and other unions party to the National Agreement to bring down the out-of-pocket Health & Welfare costs for our covered members. As of January 2025, all SMART-TD rail members covered by the National H&W Plans will see a reduction of 10.2% in their monthly employee contributions! That puts an extra $31.67 per month back into the pockets of our members without making any concessions in bargaining.

Our Amtrak members recently ratified a monumental agreement. Amtrak workers have achieved historic gains, including the largest general wage increase in the company’s history and full retroactive pay dating back to July 1, 2022, which will also apply to short crew payments. Key highlights include 10 weeks of paid parental leave, the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, increased training pay and improved bereavement policies, all while maintaining the healthcare plan for current employees. This agreement not only enhances financial compensation but also improves Amtrak’s dedicated workforce’s overall working conditions.

Thanks to our organizing efforts, including internal organizing and education, we are organizing new properties and welcoming many new members into our union.

2024 was one of the most successful years SMART-TD has experienced with our short-line rail properties. Our Organizing Department has brought many new short-line properties into the SMART-TD family, like the Louisville & Indiana Railroad, among others. We have also dedicated resources to negotiating fair contracts for our members on these smaller properties, such as our Alabama Gulf Coast brothers and sisters, who ratified an agreement with their railroad featuring significantly higher general wage increases and more generous quality-of-life improvements than any agreement they have seen in recent memory. This union is dedicated to fighting just as hard for our members working on a short line with six members as we do for our brothers and sisters working for the Class I railroads, and it shows!

Our bus members have not only ratified agreements from coast to coast with substantial gains in pay, but we also have made significant progress addressing the growing problem of transit violence. In 2024, the Federal Transit Administration embraced our members’ urgency in addressing these issues. We are starting to see tangible steps being made by employers and legislators toward addressing our concerns instead of doing further studies.

SMART-TD continues to be the transportation union with the most to offer with our first-class job insurance (DIPP) and short-term disability insurance (VSTD), both of which are owned by you, the members! No other union has its own plans that allow members’ money to work directly for them and their benefits. With our Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) insurance, 2024 saw benefits increase and out-of-pocket costs to members go down! This is all made possible by the members-helping-members approach DIPP is known for.

As members of this union, we should be proud of our accomplishments in 2024, and we owe it to ourselves and to one another to continue our momentum in this new year. As your president, I want all of our sisters and brothers to know that our organization’s success depends heavily on open lines of communication, from the newest trainee to our International office and everyone in between. We must be a united front. If we accomplish this goal, the rest of our challenges become clear-cut, and our collective goals are much more attainable.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I reflect on the recent SMART-TD Convention, I am deeply honored and grateful for the overwhelming support you have shown me and my leadership team. It is clear that the hard work and dedication we’ve put in since 2019 have resonated with those who matter most — the members we proudly serve.

First and foremost, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you. Being entrusted with the role of SMART-TD president for a second term is one of the greatest honors of my life. Your continued confidence in my leadership fuels our commitment to achieving even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.

The past five years have not been without their challenges, but each obstacle has provided us with valuable lessons. These experiences have not only highlighted our individual resilience but have also reinforced the strength of our collective team. They’ve shown us that when we face difficulties, we do so together, learning and growing from each experience.

In both the bus and rail sectors, we have never shied away from addressing any issue brought to us by our members. Our dedication to fighting for every concern, regardless of public perception or win percentages, is what sets us apart. The power of our united force enables us to represent our members with unwavering resolve.

Some of the defining moments of my first term were our engagement in the fights for two-person freight rail crews, the fight for additional protections for our bus and transit members, and obtaining the dignity of paid sick time for our freight rail members. The landscape of our negotiations might look different now, going into 2025’s national negotiations, but the principles guiding our advocacy remain steadfast. We fight for you, and that commitment does not waver.

As I step into this second term, I am reminded of the immense pride I feel in leading such a remarkable union and working alongside a dedicated staff. Together, we’ve achieved significant milestones, and I am excited about the potential that lies ahead. The next five years will bring their own set of challenges, but I firmly believe that, together, we can transform these challenges into opportunities.

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to remain united and stay the course. There is much more work to be done, and with your continued support, we will tackle each task with the same vigor and determination that has brought us this far.

Thank you for your trust and for standing with us. Here’s to the future and to the continued strength of our union.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

As the president of the strongest labor union in the transportation industry, I can honestly tell you that unique and important issues come to my attention daily.

No issues are as pressing to the well-being of this union and its membership as safety, the strength of our contracts/agreements, the education of our local officers to serve you, and the overall health of this union as an organization.

Without a doubt, SMART-TD is at an important crossroads with all these core issues.

I have made no secret about my and this organization’s level of concern regarding the epidemic of violence against our bus and transit members. This disturbing, and frankly disgusting, trend has churned up from coast to coast. There is much to be done, but in 2024, SMART-TD and our Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee have made significant strides to protect our men and women.

General Chairperson John Ellis and his GCA-875 team have led a charge in Los Angeles with two significant improvements on this front for thousands of members. First, they achieved an agreement with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) to install full-coverage partitions to keep our members shielded from passengers on their bus. GCA-875 also accomplished a major victory when they successfully advocated for LACMTA’s board to create its own in-house security force focused on system safety. These two improvements will keep workers and riders alike significantly safer in years to come!

Building on this momentum, SMART-TD’s National Legislative Department has done an outstanding job of leveraging the union’s talent from across the country and harnessing it to further conversations on our issues in Washington, DC. The department hosted two events that have been tremendously successful. The first, in May, was Railroad Day on the Hill, and the second was this union’s first-ever Bus/Transit Day on the Hill on June 25.

Both brought local leaders from across the country to Capitol Hill to discuss the important legislative concerns held by SMART. The firsthand experiences our brothers and sisters shared with these officials and their staff were invaluable to our cause! Minds definitely changed in our direction as a result of the work we did. I want to thank all of the state legislative directors, general chairs, local officers and our BTAPS Committee for prioritizing these events and showing up with preparation and passion. Your efforts were more effective than you could know, and I appreciate each and every one of you!

As this union looks to the future, we are quickly approaching 2025 and the beginning of the next round of national negotiations for our Class I freight rail members. I would like to remind all our members that our union is dedicated to a bottom-up organizational model.

Our negotiating team and I, as president, aren’t able to advocate for quality-of-life improvements that we are not made aware of. It is my hope that each affected freight rail local throughout our union has distributed my personal request to all members to propose what they would want to see prioritized in our Section 6 notices. We are as strong as our collective members, and silence does no one any favors. We need to hear from you about the contract that you will work under for the next five years. Please participate by offering your proposals in any of the following ways:

Email (preferred): Section6@smart-union.org

Mail: SMART-TD President, 6060 Rockside Woods Blvd. N., Ste. 325, Independence, OH 44131

In addition to our need to keep our members out of harm’s way and push for the best contracts we can get, we also focus on educating our officers at all levels. These efforts, through Regional and National Training Seminars, keep our local chairs/presidents/legislative reps and secretary & treasurers up to date and ready to defend.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to thank every officer and member who came to Cleveland in early July for our NTS. Your input was pivotal for your brothers and sisters, and the enthusiasm at this training was contagious!

Summer is a busy time for all of us and is always full of distractions. No matter what you have on your plate this summer, please be sure to concentrate on your safety and that of your coworkers.

We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. In the transportation industry, that could not be more true.

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Brothers and sisters,

We’re building something great here.

In May 2019, months before I took office, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) under Donald Trump appointee Ron Batory tried to toss out more than two decades of our members’ and officers’ work to preserve two-person freight crews.

Just days after my administration took office in October, the big rail carriers sued in an attempt to challenge our crew-consist agreements to further open the gates for railroads to get what they wanted — cutting workers in the cab so they could make more money at the expense of safety and common sense.

When both these challenges emerged, we rose up as one union, and we engaged.

The carriers’ lawsuit was resolved in court, and through on-property contract negotiations, our general chairpersons dug in on crew-consist matters. Since that attack in October 2019, we’ve not only preserved the current state of crew consist in the cab, but we have opened, for the first time, paid sick leave and attendance to negotiations so we can make the lives of our members better.

On April 2, United States Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FRA Administrator Amit Bose announced a rule cementing freight train crew size in the country. As a result, carriers will need to carry a very heavy burden of proof in the future if they want the federal government to permit them to cross the line we have drawn on rail safety and crew size. Predictably, the railroads have gone to court to challenge the rule because they can’t leave well enough alone.

The final piece of our puzzle will be getting federal legislation passed to preserve the current safe level of staffing inside the cabs of the freight locomotives we operate. The Rail Safety Act of 2023 (RSA) has been long stationary in Congress. Together, we can get it moving. We will need to work for it, but we can do it. When the two-person crew rule was up for public comment, this union rallied together and created enough pressure in Washington, DC, that we could not be ignored. SMART-TD can and must do the same for the bipartisan RSA.

We also must work with equal focus to resolve the current state of danger that our bus and transit members have faced for far too long. Employers have made safety a low priority when solutions are staring the bosses right in the face. Things in Washington are moving in the right direction, but not fast enough.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) heard and heeded our comments in April when it ruled on the creation of on-property safety plans and on overall national safety plans for public transportation. Our practical solutions — protective barriers for operators, not making them deal with money matters, adding security on buses and transit, tougher punishments for attacks on the members we represent and all other bus and transit workers — can be done. There’s no rational reason for these public transit agencies not to join forces with us on protecting our members.

Most importantly, FTA’s rule states that our men and women will have seats at the table to make decisions on safety measures being taken at their respective workplaces. They will have a level playing field. Employers or managers will not be able to dominate on matters of safety, and if their bosses don’t follow through on the plans our members help form, FTA will step in and enforce them or take away their federal funding.

We in this union refuse to shy away from challenging injustice. It is an energy that we have worked to reignite and stoke the past five years. The results we’ve achieved on the two-person crew, elsewhere in the halls of power on the national and state levels, in negotiations and all around our union speak for themselves.

The same positive outcomes won’t be long in coming to enhance the safety of our bus and transit members. The FTA rule moves us forward. Together we can face all that is ahead for our organization with confidence.

In solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

The year of 2023 was an unprecedented success for our union, and all should take pride in what our organization has accomplished. Win percentages on our appeals are higher now than at any time in recent memory. We fought and won the first paid sick leave for transportation employees after going without for nearly two centuries of American railroading. Our brothers and sisters on many bus and transit properties are earning better wages, benefits and time off through hard-fought and overdue agreements nationwide.

Our voices have been heard by the general public, press and in the halls of state capitols and Washington, DC. But more importantly, they are recognizing the validity of our organization’s longstanding issues and concerns. In the future, transportation employees of all types will look back at what we accomplished in 2023 as a positive turning point, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for making this a reality.

When I was first elected, I stated that training was going to be a center focus of my administration. We changed the format to better serve our locals, and I could not be more proud of how well it has been embraced and the results it has produced. The commitment and effort that many of our local officers have demonstrated by participating in our regional training seminars is a tribute to the level of professionalism and dedication needed in SMART-TD to strengthen the foundation on which our progress and future success is built. I applaud all of those that have not only attended one of these events, but also those who have taken and applied the knowledge and skills presented for the betterment of the members we proudly represent. 

Your general committee and state board officers are engaged in the issues that affect your daily lives and are doing amazing work. They are unafraid to use their skills, knowledge, and connections to make sure our issues and concerns are heard in efforts to create real-world solutions for our members. I want to tip my hat to the effort they have all demonstrated this year. It is no exaggeration to say that the lives of our members are better today than it was in 2022. I owe a debt of gratitude to every member and officer that has assisted in making this a reality.

This union is solid, cohesive, and moving collectively in the direction of progress. All of us look to 2024 with the prospect of heightened pay, continued improvement in quality of life with additional scheduled and reliable time off and the prospect that our lives and those of our families are on the right trajectory. We are doing everything we can to make your quality of life reflect the true value of your labor.

In the coming months, the Federal Railroad Administration is scheduled to announce the results of the two-person crew hearings held in late 2022, and we look forward to hearing those results. Many of you answered the call and let your voices be heard on this pivotal issue, setting the stage for what would be a historic victory. We are looking to replicate this success as SMART-TD takes on the issue of the rising number and severity of assaults on our passenger/commuter rail and bus members. This issue directly impacts the lives of many of our members and we will not allow it to go unchecked. We must show no hesitation in leading the way on this significant issue while other, less-dynamic unions apparently remain content with the status quo.

Our members deserve more, and we will do all we can in efforts of ensuring their safety.

If 2023 has taught us anything, it is that we are the leader in U.S. transportation labor and our influence grows daily. However, all of this progress can be lost if we sit on our laurels or stop working as a collective group. It is for this reason that I personally request that you all stay invested in the fight for what’s right in 2024 as we lay it on the line to further the causes that define our careers and lives.

In closing, I wish you all a happy, safe and prosperous new year!

Fraternally,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Unions in the United States have championed workplace safety from the beginning. In the 1870s, organized labor championed “State factory safety and health laws” — the predecessor of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) a century later. Whether it’s freight rail, bus or transit, workplace safety remains the foundation of everything we strive toward.

Our organization and labor have made tremendous headway, but as was clear over the summer, there is progress yet to be made and fights left to be won. We had two trainmen trainees killed in Maryland railyards.

We have been screaming into the megaphone to FRA, STB, NTSB, Congress, the White House, people in the media — frankly anyone else who will listen — that we will not stand for the current state of training on America’s Class I railroads. Please follow this link to read SMART-TD’s statement regarding the safety of our trainmen trainees, as well as the safety advisory we issued in hopes of directly speaking to our newly hired brothers and sisters and the conductors who mentor or train them.

It is our hope that our internal safety advisories will be a jumping-off point to inspire productive conversations. If carriers think they can get away with insufficient and unsafe training without SMART-TD opposing it, they are very much mistaken. Please take the time to read these materials.

While on the topic of safety, I want to proudly announce the formation of a new committee at SMART-TD focused on ending the epidemic of physical assault on our bus and transit membership. SMART-TD‘s Bus/Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee was established at the SMART Leadership Conference in Washington, DC this August. It was born from the courage of Legislative Representative Christine Ivey of Local 1785 (Santa Monica, Calif.), who brought up the long-overdue idea that SMART-TD needed to form a committee to lead the charge for the transportation workers of this country — researching workable solutions to the increasing violence against on-duty members.

I agreed with the message Ivey eloquently and passionately shared and called for a vote on the formation of the committee on the spot, naming Sister Ivey as chairperson of the BTAPS Committee. It is not in this union’s DNA to sit idly by while our members’ safety and personal well-being are at risk.

Please read SMART-TD’s statement regarding the safety of our trainmen trainees, as well as the safety advisory we issued in hopes of directly speaking to our newly hired brothers and sisters and the conductors who mentor or train them

The BTAPS Committee and Chairperson Ivey have my full support and confidence as they strive for increased mandatory sentences for those who assault transit workers and craft the legislative language to protect our brothers and sisters. I thank her for her leadership on this important topic. BTAPS is looking for both bus and transit members to volunteer to serve. To be considered for an appointment to BTAPS, or if you know of someone we should be considering, please contact her at Chrissie.ivey.smtd.1785@gmail.com, or Dan Banks in our Cleveland office, at dbanks@smart-union.org.

On another positive note, I am happy to announce the retirement of SMART-TD Vice President Calvin Studivant, senior VP from our Bus Department. Calvin has dedicated his life to advocating for the safety, compensation and respect our bus operators and mechanics deserve. He has led the department since being elected VP in 2014. Along with VP Alvy Hughes, Studivant has led SMART-TD’s Bus Department to unparalleled success. We all wish Brother Studivant a long and happy retirement, and I thank him for all his years of dedicated service to our members.

As we wish Calvin the best, we are encouraged that he leaves our Bus Department in the capable hands of VP Hughes and James Sandoval from Local 23 in Santa Cruz, California, who has been elevated to VP. Brother Sandoval has served multiple roles in his career, and I have every confidence in his ability. The TD Board of Directors has approved General Chairperson Markeisha Haynes of Local 1785 as our new alternate vice president of the Bus Department. When sworn in, she will be the first Black woman to serve our union at this level of leadership. I am very proud to have Sister Haynes in the SMART-TD leadership team!

September marked the beginning of elections in most SMART-TD locals. Not only does this union need these leadership positions to be filled to function well, but they need to be filled with dedicated brothers and sisters willing to work to better the lives and careers of our members. This is not a top-down organization — it is supported and maintains its strength from the bottom up. The local leaders of today will spearhead the future of this organization and this movement. The first step is getting involved.

Please engage in your local and become well-informed about who is running. Make wise decisions in your leadership — these leaders have a hand in your safety and your family’s well-being.

Thank you for your continued support, and I want you all to have a great fall. Please don’t let the distractions of a new school year, football season and all the trappings take away from focusing on the safety of you and those you work with.

In Solidarity,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division

Fifty-seven SMART-TD members, officers and spouses, as well as UTUIA, RRB and TD Auxiliary, gathered for the first Solidarity Shoot in Ellerbe, N.C. earlier this month.

TD members from both North and South Carolina got together for a late summer clay shoot at DeWitt’s Sporting Clays in Ellerbe, N.C.

About 57 people participated – including President Jeremy Ferguson and Alt. National Legislative Director Jared Cassity.

North Carolina State Legislative Director Ron Ingerick organized the event and took part, as did SLD Will Ferguson from South Carolina.

General Chairperson Thomas Gholson (GO 898) and Vice General Chairperson Matthew McCrary (GO 851) as well as representatives from UTUIA, the Railroad Retirement Board, TD Auxiliary and families and spouses attended the first of what Ingerick is hoping will be an annual event for members.

“This was something to build solidarity and open communications between the local members across the two states for bus and rail,” Ingerick said. “We’re just trying to pull things back together since COVID. Hopefully it’ll be a bigger event going forward and next year we’ll have an even bigger crowd.”

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Phone: (216) 228-9400

Fax: (216) 228-0411
Department Email: news_td@smart-union.org

“Any time a monopoly is broken up, and competition is emphasized in the workplace, American workers win. SMART-TD stands behind today’s announcement by the Surface Transportation Board. It is a clear result of this administration’s dedication to railroad workers and workers in general over the insatiable appetite of the railroad companies to feed their bottom lines to the detriment of all else. SMART-TD, on behalf of the hardworking conductors, engineers, and yardmasters we represent, are thankful for the leadership of Martin Oberman, chair of the STB, and of the Biden administration for their courage in breaking the stranglehold the railroads have had on their customers since 1850. Our hope is that introducing the spirit of capitalism into our industry will force the railroads to run their companies more responsibly, starting with demonstrating more respect for their greatest asset, OUR MEMBERS.”

— SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson

This morning, the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB), following a unanimous vote by the board, announced a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) that represents a tidal shift in the way railroads provide service in this country. Since the golden spike was ceremonially driven in 1869, connecting this country from coast to coast with rail service, our country’s railroads have had a unique business model. This model has always hinged on the fact that if they owned the track your factory or company was adjacent to, you were locked into their services no matter the level of their pricing or the quality of that service.

In recent years, the STB has been flooded with complaints regarding the Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR) era from shippers who are no longer satisfied with the results of the one-sided partnerships they have with American rail barons. These shippers have been “railroaded” into paying inflated rates for severely inadequate service. The STB has ruled numerous times that rail carriers are obligated to honor their contracts and provide regular service to our country’s most-pivotal industries.

Recently, the STB asserted its power to insist that Union Pacific (UP) service a large-scale poultry farm in California whose livestock was suffering from that carrier’s inability to consistently deliver the feed necessary to keep their animals alive. Currently, the Navajo Nation has engaged the STB in a dispute with BNSF over its inability to deliver on its contractual obligation to get coal to market produced by a subsidiary of the Nation . The idea that railroads can service who they want when they want does not mesh with their obligations to provide adequate service.

Martin Oberman, the Biden administration, and the STB today said they will no longer allow this mentality to continue. The STB is holding the railroads’ collective feet to the fire so that the supply chain for critical goods, like energy and food supplies, delivers on time.

The NPRM announced today provides three basic standards of service railroad companies must abide by. If they refuse to do so, their previously locked-in customers will have the right to contract with another railroad that will. As the press release from the STB points out, this will be a complex process of negotiating trackage rights; however, the STB shows no sign of backing down from the task.

Chairperson Martin Oberman specifically noted, “One of the principal goals of the rule is to incentivize carriers to maintain sufficient resources — specifically workforce and locomotives.”

This NPRM is open to public comments until October 23, 2023. If it is adopted as proposed, this nation’s railroads are, for the first time, forced to recognize a direct correlation between their staffing levels and their ability to retain customers. This puts these carriers in a unique position where retention of their workforce, as well as attracting new talent, will force itself to be their top priority.

SMART-TD is proud to stand with Chairman Oberman, the STB, and President Biden as they make this bold and decisive move to level the playing field and assert the ideals of capitalism into the railroad industry.

Railroad workers, heavy industry, and “mom-and-pop” shops across this country will benefit from adopting this proposed rule-making. As SMART-TD President Ferguson stated, “When monopolies are disrupted by capitalism, our country’s workers and the economy itself win, and win big.”

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If you’re interested in speaking more about the union’s stance on this issue and the changes SMART-TD is calling for, we’d be happy to connect you with:

SMART Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson

President Jeremy Ferguson, a member of Local 313 in Grand Rapids, Mich., was elected president of SMART’s Transportation Division in 2019.

President Ferguson, an Army veteran, started railroading in 1994 as a conductor on CSX at Grand Rapids, Mich., and was promoted to engineer in 1995. Ferguson headed the recent national rail negotiations for the Union with the nation’s rail carriers.

SMART Transportation Division National Legislative Director Gregory Hynes

Greg Hynes is a fifth-generation railroader and was elected national legislative director in 2019.

Hynes served on the SMART Transportation Division National Safety Team that assists the National Transportation Safety Board with accident investigations, from 2007 – 2014.

In 2014, he was appointed to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC), which develops new railroad regulatory standards.

Hynes was appointed the first chairperson of the UTU Rail Safety Task Force in 2009 and served in that capacity until being elected SMART Transportation Division alternate national legislative director at the Transportation Division’s 2014 convention.

SMART Transportation Division Alternate National Legislative Director Jared Cassity

Jared Cassity was elected by his peers in 2019 and currently serves as the Alternate National Legislative Director for the SMART Transportation Division, which is comprised of approximately 125,000 active and retired members who work in a variety of different crafts in the transportation industry. These crafts include employees on every Class I railroad, Amtrak, many shortline railroads, bus and mass transit employees, and airport personnel.

In addition to his elected roles, Cassity has also been appointed as the Union’s Chief of Safety, serves as the Director for the SMART TD National Safety Team (which assists the NTSB in major rail-related accident investigations), is SMART TD’s voting member on the Federal Railroad Administration’s C3RS Steering Committee, and is the first labor member to ever be appointed to the Transportation Security Administration’s Surface Transportation Safety Advisory Committee.

Brothers and sisters,

SMART Transportation Division has seen historic successes in 2023 and at the same time, we face some unprecedented struggles. 

Since our last publication, many of our freight rail members have won major victories with new contracts including paid sick leave, increased schedule predictability, and pay increases. Two-person crew and other rail-safety legislations have been passed in statehouses around the country, and the United States Congress maintains its focus in the face of carriers’ intense opposition to take overdue action that gives our members’ safety and quality of life the credence that they deserve.

As the SMART-TD President I am also very excited to have Brother Mike Coleman as the new General President of SMART. We wished General President Sellers a very happy retirement at our board of directors meeting this past April, and I was proud to see Mike sworn in as General President at our General Executive Council meeting on May 23rd. Mike and I have had a longstanding working relationship and I am also proud to call him a friend.

On the flip side of all the positive we are experiencing, I am very troubled with the fact our bus members’ safety has never been more at risk. On May 18, a SMART-TD bus operator from Local 1715 (Charlotte, NC) was involved in a shoot-out with a disgruntled bus passenger, an incident that sent both men to the hospital with what were described as life-threatening injuries.

Less than a week later, on May 24, another SMART-TD bus operator out of Local 1608 (Chatsworth, Calif.) was stabbed multiple times in the neck and back while working his assigned route in Los Angeles.

There have been news reports of gunfire on buses, angry parents going after school bus drivers, road rage incidents. The list is extensive.

You cannot tell me that it is acceptable that on two out of every three days in this country one of our transit workers is violently assaulted.

The United States Federal Transit Administration put out a study in December 2022 entitled “Update on Transit Worker Assault Prevention and Mitigation.” This report looked at data from 2008 through 2011. In those 13 years, the FTA reports that there was an average of 241 assaults per year on transit workers throughout the country. This study itself points out that, “This data includes only the most serious events, and may significantly underestimate the total number of assaults.”

You cannot tell me that it is acceptable that on two out of every three days in this country one of our transit workers is violently assaulted. These men and women are the lifeblood of our economy, getting Americans to work and improving their quality-of-life day in and day out. They deserve to be heard and protected like the essential workers that we know they are. We’ve had two members on both sides of the country in the hospital fighting for their lives as a result of violent incidents. Last year, also in Charlotte, one of our members was killed by gunfire while on the job. 

It’s no time for a government study. It’s not time to discuss increasing next year’s safety budget. Our men and women deserve and demand immediate and definitive actions to ensure their physical safety. The FTA has requested public comments on what needs to be done to shore up safety in public transportation, and SMART-TD members can rest assured that our call to action will be heard.

On another positive note, our general chairpersons on multiple rail carriers have a lot of momentum going into the summer. New agreements, including crew-consist guarantees, paid sick leave for multiple crafts including some yardmasters, and more firmed-up scheduling for time off have been making their way into rail crew rooms all over the country. To the GCs who have been on the front lines negotiating these quality-of-life improvements for our rail members, you have both my gratitude and support.

SMART-TD has also spent the spring and early summer delivering on the legislative front. Our skilled group of State Legislative Directors and our National Legislative Department have been producing great results in state legislatures and on the hill in Washington D.C. We are moving the needle nationally on issues of rail safety, 2PC, and others. Credit for these pivotal victories does not belong exclusively to me, or our office holders. You, the SMART-TD members, have done a remarkable job of advocating on your own behalf. We asked you to be part of this process, and we continue to be excited by your response.

To that end, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you, your friends and family members who have answered the bell and sent your messages to legislators, written letters to the editor, and have reached out to our office this year to add your voices to SMART-TD’s efforts to mold the public policy surrounding railway safety. Please continue to use the tools your union provides you to continue this push. Your continued use of the new hours-of-service reports, the safety conditions reports, and tech event reports is a key ingredient to keeping our union’s momentum and countering the carriers’ attempts to sow misinformation. 

And, as a reminder, please update your personal information via the website and app so that we can keep you informed of what’s happening in your industry and your union.

As an organization SMART-TD is only growing stronger each day with all of your dedication and we are without a doubt the best bus, rail and air union in the country. I appreciate your hard work and want you to know that your union is in the fight with you. There will always be much more that needs to be accomplished by this organization, but you can rest assured that we are doing everything that can be done to advocate for you and your family.

Fraternally,

Jeremy R. Ferguson
President, Transportation Division