December Update
- 2025 Local Safety and Service Committee Applications
Each year, new employees are selected from each territory to be a representative on the LSSC. Follow THIS LINK to submit your application and view more info about the roles of an LSSC member. Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm on Dec. 31. and new members will be chosen before the January LSSC meeting. Note: All employees are welcome to submit an application, not just SMART members.
- Holding Board System Malfunctions -
There have been recent instances of pool turn employees getting a confirmation message when electing to go to the Holding Board, but the system not actually displaying that status on the Mainframe. After electing to go to the Holding Board in CrewPro, please double check that the status next to your turn also says that you’re on the Holding Board. If it doesn’t, please contact the Call Office and report the issue. If you find yourself in a situation where you should be on the Holding Board, but are getting called to work, transfer to the caller, tell them that you should be on the Holding Board and that they can see the Holding Board request in your Work History (giving the date and time that you submitted the request will help them find it). If they continue to insist that you have to take the call, ask them to transfer you to the on-duty supervisor.
I’ve talked with the Chief Caller about the technical issues and about the callers being dismissive of T&E employees, and he assures me that IT is working on the technical side, and that he will have conversations with callers to ensure that they understand the new holding board options and that they aren’t dismissive.
I’ve also made a SSP ENHANCEMENT QUCK REFERCE GUIDE for your use when trying to figure out which options are available to you, and how to elect them in the CrewPro App. This guide can also be found in the Resources section of this website.
Note that some options available to you must be submitted within 15 minutes of tie-up, so be sure to submit the relevant requests in a timely manner.
- Unavailable Taxis Leading to Limbo Time -
Due to recent cuts in the number of available PTI vans, crews have been getting an increasing amount of limbo time while waiting on a ride from the train to the washroom / hotel. The Union would like to bring this issue to the FRA, but we need documented cases to do so. Please report any instance of this happening to your Local Chairman, including the date, train symbol, the time you began waiting on a ride, the time the ride arrived, and how much limbo time was a result of the delay. Note: only report limbo time issues that are a direct result of having too few PTI vans.
- Extraboard Employees Being Called Out of Order -
I’ve been made aware of several recent instances of extraboard employees being called and asked by a trainmaster to work locals when the employee is not 1st out on the extraboard. Know that this action is not condoned by the Union. Local supervision should not be picking and choosing who gets to work and who doesn’t. The proper procedure is that vacant positions should be filled by the 1st out extraboard employee. If you are called by a supervisor and asked to work a local, you should tell them that the 1st out extraboard conductor should be called, then inform the Local Chairman of any such request so that a conversation about proper procedures can be had with Supervision.
- Accumulated (Roll-Over) PL Days Causing Forfeiture of Guarantee Payment -
The Union and Company have met recently to discuss Accumulated PL days causing Conductor’s Extraboard Guarantee Payments to be forfeited. The SMART Guarantee Extraboard Agreement states that any employee will not forfeit their guarantee if they are observing compensated leave. The Company’s stance is that Accumulated PL days should only be for payment of the accumulated PL days and not used for approved time off. The Union will continue to pursue this matter. CLICK HERE to view the correspondence between the SMART General Chairman and Labor Relations. I will update further when I have more information.
In the interim, extraboard conductors should keep this in mind when taking accumulated PL days. Until this is resolved any PL days from the current year will allow you to maintain your guarantee payment, but any mark off by using an accumulated (roll-over) PL day will result in your guarantee being forfeited.
On a related note, I’ve heard a lot of misinformation regarding PL days floating around, so I want to clear the air. PL days no longer have to be denied in order for them to roll over to next year. Due to the 2023 On-Property Agreement, any unused PL day will automatically roll-over to the following year.
- Brake Test Blitz -
We have been informed by the FRA that they will increase the number of brake test inspections to ensure that all railroads are complying with federal regulation. Please continue to perform the required brake tests when building your train or picking up cars at industries and outlying points. If you have any uncertainty about the required brake test, ask a supervisor, or perform a class 1 to cover yourself.