Transportation News

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Alaska Railroad to lay off 31 employees, eliminate 18 jobs

The Alaska Railroad announced Friday, Feb. 10 that they will lay off 31 people and eliminate 18 vacant positions, 8 percent of its workforce. Employees were told on Friday that their last day will be March 13. The positions being eliminated range from interns to vice presiden [...]

SMART Union Celebrates Black History Month

As we celebrate Black History Month in February 2017, read about the groundbreaking inventions from African-American inventors that had a major impact across all American labor sectors, including the transportation industry: Andrew Jackson Beard, born a slave in Alabama, beca [...]

Memorial services set for John P. Schneider

John P. Schneider, 54, of Spokane Valley, Wash., was hit and killed by a Union Pacific train while working near the Wallula train yard in Walla Walla County, Wash., Jan. 31. Schneider had been a member of Local 1505 in Spokane, Wash., since 2004. He loved to read, was a survi [...]

Go Fund Me account set up for fallen Brother, John Schneider

Friends of fallen Brother, John P. Schneider, recently set up a Go Fund Me account that is accepting donations in support of Brother Schneider’s family. Click here to donate. Schneider, 54, of Spokane Valley, Wash., was hit and killed by a Union Pacific train on Tuesday [...]

SMART TD announces Treasurer’s Workshop for April 2017

SMART Transportation Division will be conducting a Treasurer’s Workshop at the SMART TD Headquarters located in North Olmsted, Ohio, April 25-27, 2017. Attendance will be limited to 35 registrants. Attendees will be accepted on a first-come basis. Those interested in at [...]

Why Right-to-Work is wrong for union and non-union

Tire builder Jesse Isbell outlines in his recent blog post how the Right-to-Work bill is nothing more than a pack of lies intended to break unions and make the rich richer. Isbell and thousands of his co-workers lost their jobs when the Oklahoma City Bridgestone Tire plant th [...]

OSHA finds Amtrak in violation of Federal Railroad Safety Act

BOSTON – The National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak, retaliated against a supervisory special agent in its inspector general’s office when he raised concerns about railroad safety, fraud and abuse involving an Amtrak contractor and when he suppo [...]

Who’s Behind National Right to Work?

Who’s behind right-to-work? Ignoring the facts about “right-to-work,” far-right politicians across the country are promoting these deceptive policies as payback to their Big Business donors. By weakening workers’ ability to have a say about their job, right to work weakens un [...]