News

It’s that time of year again. Americans across the country will get ready for the time-honored tradition of gathering with family and friends to give thanks. But first, they will agonize – possibly panic – over how to get where they’re going on the busiest travel day of the year. The latter isn’t exactly how…

The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA or GA-46000) Plan will increase from $157,800 to $162,500 beginning Jan. 1, 2018. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management had agreed on various procedures to administer the annual changes in the amount of the lifetime maximum benefit under…

Click here or the image below to read the special edition of SMART TD News about the proposed National Rail Agreement.   SaveSave SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave

WASHINGTON (Nov. 14, 2017) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined the April 3, 2016, derailment of Amtrak train 89 near Chester, Pennsylvania, was caused by deficient safety management across many levels of Amtrak and the resultant lack of a clear, consistent and accepted vision for safety. A backhoe operator and a track supervisor were killed,…

On Nov. 13, 2017, the Department of Transportation (DOT) published a final rule that, among other items, expands DOT’s current drug testing panel to include certain semi-synthetic opioids (i.e., hydrocodone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, oxymorphone). Testing for methylenedioxyethylamphetamine (MDEA) has been removed while methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) has been added as an initial test analyte. The final rule also…