Transportation News

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House Republicans push back vote on Amtrak cuts

The SMART Transportation Division has been asking for help and advocacy from our members this week to reach out to Congress and let them know that it is not OK to gut the federal spending for Amtrak. Late Thursday, it appears that your voices have been heard loud and clear an [...]

N.J. SLD Sabol honored for labor advocacy

The SMART Transportation Division (SMART-TD) is thrilled to announce that one of its own, New Jersey State Legislative Director Ron Sabol, was honored at the 35th Annual Knights of Labor award ceremony on Oct. 28. This event is hosted annually by the AFL-CIO Central Labor Cou [...]

Rail labor collectively urges representatives to oppose House THUD bill

The Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, of which the SMART Transportation and Mechanical Divisions are members, issued the following letter today, Oct. 31, on the Transportation Housing and Urban Development bill under consideration in the U.S. House. Dear Repres [...]

SMART-TD members provide fuel for UAW strikers’ fires

SMART Army members from Local 278 (Jackson, Mich.) and Local 1438 (Lincoln Park, Mich.) delivered two cords of firewood to our United Auto Workers (UAW) brothers and sisters in UAW Local 1248 in front of the Mopar Parts Distribution Center in Romulus, Mich. SMART-TD President [...]

Michigan bills protecting bus/transit and passenger workers advance

SMART Transportation Division Michigan State Legislative Director Don Roach reports that two bills supported by the union have taken a step forward in the state Legislature after receiving a key committee endorsement. HB 4917 and HB 4918 seek to enhance protections for transp [...]

Retired TD staff member lends perspective to UAW’s fight

This column was submitted by Dan Lough, who worked for the TD Public Relations Department and as a meeting planner for the union for more than four decades prior to his retirement in 2018. His father was an auto worker and a member of the UAW. I don’t pretend to be an expert [...]

Local 933 leads way in caboose restoration

In October, Local 933’s Jorge Moralez had a hand in two “rebirths” — one public and one personal.  First is that of a Missouri Pacific caboose that had been out of service for decades. Sitting neglected in the middle of the town of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, its destiny se [...]

Strike vote authorized at SEPTA

“Our General Chairperson for the SEPTA property, Ray Boyer, served Section 6 Notices on SEPTA well over a year ago. SEPTA management knows full well that SMART-TD’s members are the backbone of the greater Philadelphia area. Our members operate heavy rail, buses, light rail, a [...]