Posts tagged Sheet Metal Air Rail and Transportation
New Jersey Energy Workers Win Bid to Remove Unwanted Union
March 24, 2023 // Calmac Corp employee Carlos Flores and his coworkers have won their effort to free themselves of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (“SMART”) Local 137 union. The worker’s decertification effort recently became official when the SMART Local 137 union officials preemptively “disclaimed” interest in representing the Calmac Corp workers, rather than face a vote on whether to remove the union. Flores, during the course of the decertification effort, received free legal aid from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation attorneys. The decertification petition, filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), included the signatures of a significant portion of his coworkers. The Calmac Corp employee petition was filed on March 7, 2023. The petition was quickly followed by a letter from union officials, disclaiming interest in “representing” Calmac Corp workers. Luckily for the Calmac workers, the entire decertification process was completed rather quickly. However, this is not always the case for many workers around the nation who are also working to remove overbearing unions.
Wyoming Rail Unions Planning Cheyenne Rally on Dec. 13
December 13, 2022 // The rally is an attempt to raise awareness for the mistreatment of rail workers by railroad companies over the past few years after Congress at the federal level forced rail workers to accept a contract that didn't include any guaranteed sick days. Tamsin Johnson, the executive secretary of the Wyoming AFL-CIO, said they're holding the rally to show people the negative impact railroad policies have had on its workers. While there is a rally planned in Cheyenne, there are also rallies planned across the country in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, and Utah
Largest U.S. rail labor union votes against contract, raising strike possibility
November 21, 2022 // Workers at the largest U.S. rail union voted against a tentative contract deal reached in September raising the possibility of a strike in the coming weeks that could cause significant damage to the U.S. economy. Train and engine service members of the transportation division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) narrowly voted to reject the deal, while members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) voted to ratify the agreement and SMART-TD yardmasters voted to ratify their national agreement, the unions said Monday.
Factbox-Latest on Ratification Status of U.S. Railroad Unions to Avert Strike
November 10, 2022 // - Major U.S. railroads and unions representing 115,000 workers reached a tentative deal last week and averted a potential strike that could have stalled almost 30% of U.S. cargo shipments by weight, stoked inflation and cost the U.S. economy as much as $2 billion per day. Although a strike was avoided with intervention from the Biden administration, uncertainty still looms over the industry as most unions are yet to ratify the deal.
‘Dubious at best’: Railroad workers’ rejection of new contracts revives strike fears
October 13, 2022 // For consumers, the result would be empty shelves and delayed shipments during the time of year they rely on them most. Passenger rail systems around the country, including many Amtrak routes, were also gearing up to shut down before negotiations prodded by the Biden administration yielded a tentative deal in mid-September. “It is a trade union principle that if a railroad union goes on strike, other railroad unions honor that strike,” said Peter Kennedy, who directs strategic coordination and research at BMWE. And at this point, reaching a new tentative agreement seems “dubious at best.” Deputy Labor Secretary Seth Harris,
Shippers want rail service reform even if unions ratify contracts
October 6, 2022 // Both BLET and SMART-TD said last Thursday that they finally reached a tentative agreement with the railroads, and that agreement will be sent to union members in the coming weeks for approval. The Association of American Railroads estimated that a strike would have cost the U.S. economy as much as $2 billion a day. Shippers lobbied Congress to ensure that the tentative labor deals were reached to prevent a strike.
Judge Says BNSF Unions Can’t Strike Over New Attendance Rule
January 27, 2022 // A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a strike would likely violate federal law because under their contracts railroad unions aren't allowed to strike over minor disputes. Instead, those must be settled through arbitration or negotiation.