INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (June 10, 2024) — The SMART Transportation Division has begun the process of formulating Section 6 notices to be served on rail carriers negotiating under the umbrella of the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC), which will include proposals to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions. 

As mandated by the Railway Labor Act and the current national agreement, these Section 6 notices will be served on or about November 1, 2024, to become effective no earlier than January 1, 2025. The serving of Section 6 notices is the first step in reaching a new national agreement with railroads represented by the NCCC. Rail carriers represented by the NCCC have also been working on their own Section 6 notices, which they will serve at or about the same time SMART-TD’s notices are served. 

All affected SMART-TD officers and members are invited to submit proposals for the organization’s Section 6 notices. Members may submit their proposals by the following means: 

Email (preferred): [email protected] 

Fax: (216) 228-5755 

Mail: SMART-TD President, 6060 Rockside Woods Blvd. N., Ste. #325, Independence, OH 44131 

Proposals received on or before July 24, 2024, will be catalogued and forwarded to a Section 6 Review Committee comprised of General Chairpersons from across the country, who represent members in the affected crafts. After the Section 6 Review Committee fine tunes those suggestions, a final draft will be forwarded to the entire Association of General Chairpersons, District No. 1, for final review and approval. On or after November 1, 2024, General Committees will begin serving those final Section 6 notices.  

In addition to the above, SMART-TD will be conducting a randomized membership survey to help define the issues for prioritization during negotiations. To ensure that you are eligible to participate in surveys, and to stay up to date on future developments, members are encouraged to register for the Member Portal and log in to the SMART-TD website at www.smart-union.org, and/or download the SMART Union app from the Google Play or Apple Store.  

All SMART-TD members are reminded that the current national agreement between the SMART-TD and NCCC will not expire on or after January 1, 2025. Under the status-quo provisions of the Railway Labor Act, the current national agreement will remain in effect.