These selections were made by SMART Transportation Division state legislative boards and national leadership with careful consideration as to the candidates' track record regarding issues affecting your workplace. In short — who is with us and who is against us.
We are calling all available members to join forces with our 500 dedicated SMART-TD brothers and sisters at the MBTA commuter railroad operated by Keolis in Boston, Massachusetts.
Hundreds of rail workers gathered in Houston to discuss labor issues across organizations at the annual Texas rally. Attendees enjoyed great food, great fellowship, and prepared to face our shared challenges with a renewed sense of solidarity.
In a letter to SMART-TD members, Marty Oberman, retired chair of the Surface Transportation Board, details the progress and policies at risk in this election. “The protections of rail workers … depends a lot on whether these important offices are filled by a worker-oriented administration. We will need an Administration that will appoint officials who care about rail workers and continue the aggressive oversight [provided] by the current Democratic-led STB and FRA.”
Like other federal agencies, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has been operating under a continuing resolution since October 1, 2024, the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025.
In fall 2024, CSX Railroad announced plans to change how the carrier moves freight between Chicago and the East Coast; a plan that would have forced more than 120 SMART-TD members to choose between relocation to either Buffalo, N.Y., or Willard, Ohio — or be laid off. SMART-TD officers and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown took action in response. And with the senator’s help, union railroad jobs stayed in Cleveland where they belong.
Great news for railroad workers! Starting in 2025, monthly health and wellness contributions will drop by 10.2% because of fewer claims filed in 2024. This landmark achievement is a testament to the hard work and responsible choices of our members!
A team of SMART-TD transit officers engaged with the top safety and technology innovators in the world during the 2024 InnoTrans conference in Berlin, Germany. “Knowing what's out there will help us to propose engineering and procedural safeguards for our members.” General Chair John Ellis, GC 857.
A Federal bill known as the Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act was introduced today, following our recent success protecting yardmasters in Minnesota. The SMART-TD railroad union is gathering additional co-sponsors for the bill, which would bring Yardmaster hours in line with those of other critical railroad employees across the nation.
