As the government shutdown enters its second month with no signs of reopening anytime soon, the gridlock is starting to threaten the safety of our members and the accountability of the railroads who employ them.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), which furloughed 23% of its staff announced that its Office of Railroad Safety, which investigates accidents and inspects railroad equipment, would stay open. But this is only sort-of-true. Essentially, the FRA has said, we are investigating ... as long as it is nothing new.

The FRA supposedly has staff on hand to address accidents and investigations; yet it's refusing to accept any new reports until the shutdown is over. This is unacceptable. We will continue to press the FRA to investigate all violations, not just major accidents that they can't ignore.

What can we do? I encourage you to keep reporting violations with the FRA (even if they get put in a backlog), and I also encourage you to keep reporting 'Unsafe Conditions' and 'Railroad Technology Failures' with SMART-TD.

UNSAFE CONDITION REPORT

RAILROAD TECHNOLOGY FAILURE REPORT

By filling out the union's unsafe conditions and technology failure reports, you provide the data that allows the National and State Legislative Department to keep pressing the FRA and elected officials to hold the carriers accountable when it comes to safety on the rails for members and the public.

Our office won't let a shutdown give a free hall pass to the railroads to sweep away violations. But we need your help. Please continue to file safety violations and then let SMART-TD know also with our easy to fill out online reports. Stay safe!

In solidarity,

Jared Cassity

National Safety and Legislative Director

SMART Transportation Division