NS, SMART-TD Launch New Initiatives Aimed at Conductor Training
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Norfolk Southern (NS) and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers—Transportation Division (SMART-TD) announced July 26 that they are partnering to launch several new initiatives to “further enhance the training program for conductor trainees and increase compensation for conductors who helped provide this important training.”
According to NS and SMART-TD, the new agreement “underscores the joint commitment to immediately developing and deploying innovative training initiatives,” including:
- “A train-the-trainer program for all conductors and foremen to ensure consistency and quality in the training they provide to new trainees.
- “A standardized process to monitor and report progress on all activities outlined in the existing trainee qualification book.
- “A bilateral rating system to allow conductor trainers and trainees to rate each other’s engagement, professionalism, and commitment to safety.”
NS, effective August 1, 2023, will increase the training stipend for conductors providing instruction from $10 to $30 for a through-freight-service shift, and $35 for all other service shifts.
For those craft employees who step away from their work full-time to offer support and instruction—known as craft mentors—NS says it will raise their daily pay from $325 to $375, acknowledging the critical impact these railroaders make in our efforts to develop the company’s conductor workforce.
“Ensuring that every conductor trainee receives proper training is the foundation of running a safe railroad,” SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson. “These changes will deliver even greater quality and consistency for the Norfolk Southern conductor training program and ensure that every trainee will have a positive and comprehensive experience focused on safely performing their important work.”
“Our craft colleagues are the heart of Norfolk Southern,” said NS President and CEO Alan H. Shaw. “We have an obligation to make sure our newest employees—our conductor trainees—have the skills and knowledge to get the job done as safely as possible. We committed to partnering with our unions on safety, and our ongoing work with SMART-TD is another step in fulfilling that promise and investing in the future of our people.”
