Railroad Mechanical and Engineering Archives

July 30, 2026:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The members of SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) Local 434 employed by Alstom on the Los Angeles Metrolink have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement. The new four-year contract delivers a total of 22% in general wage increases, $5,000 total in lump sum bonuses and substantial improvements to the members’ health and welfare benefits and monthly contributions.

“This ratification is a testament to what can be achieved when members stand together with a united voice,” said SMART General Committee 2 Directing General Chairman John McCloskey. “From the very beginning, our members made it clear that they expected an agreement that recognized their skills, dedication, and the critical role they play in serving the riding public. Because they remained engaged and united throughout negotiations, we were able to secure an agreement they could overwhelmingly support.”

“Every contract is ultimately won by the strength and solidarity of the membership,” said SMART International Representative Robert Shanahan, Jr. “Our members stayed engaged, informed, remained united, and demonstrated that when workers stand together, they have tremendous power at the bargaining table. This agreement belongs to every member who supported one another throughout this process.”

This agreement would also not have been possible without the support of SMART Local 105.

“A strike with Alstom appeared imminent, but when we reached out to Local 105’s Business Manager Al Hernandez, he and Local 105’s Political Director Fernando Ochoa immediately went into action. Their outreach and solidarity sent a clear message that an injury to one is an injury to all. Alstom got the message, and together, we got a historic agreement,” said SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering Director Peter Kennedy. “We are incredibly grateful for Local 105’s support in this contract campaign. This victory belongs not only to the bargaining unit, but to officers and members of Local 105 who stood with us.”

SMART International leadership emphasized that the ratification represents more than a successful contract — it reinforces the importance of solidarity in advancing the interests of railroad workers.

“Local 434 members at Alstom are essential to public transportation in Los Angeles, and they made it clear during negotiations that they needed a contract that recognized their work. Most importantly, they stood together and spoke with one voice to ensure their demands were heard,” said SMART General President Michael Coleman. “This agreement demonstrates that unity works. We are proud of our members, proud of our local leadership, and excited to continue building on this momentum.”

The newly ratified contract runs through June 30, 2029.

The work SMART members do impacts the everyday lives of people across North America, from the buildings constructed by sheet metal workers to the transportation operated by TD members. SMART members improve the quality of life for our neighbors in countless ways, helping them breathe clean air, safely transporting people and freight from point A to B, and more.

For SMART Railroad, Mechanical and Engineering (RME) Local 398 Brothers Joshua Mavez, Andrew Meisenholder, Jesse Warford and Dan Medellin, this impact took on a whole new level when they saved a woman’s life just outside their facility.

On October 24, 2025, the four San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Light Rail Vehicle Department workers noticed an enormous cloud of smoke coming from a van that had crashed just outside the workplace. When Mavez first arrived at the scene, all he saw was “a car stuck between two gates.” It was only when he noticed the tires pop and sparks flying that he realized something was seriously wrong.

Mavez was the first to rush to the scene, and Meisenholder, Warford and Medellin followed without any hesitation, armed with fire extinguishers.

The four RME brothers were ready to take action and put out the fire. But then, Meisenholder recalled, “a security guard yelled out that somebody was in the car, and after that, you could see the silhouette of somebody in the vehicle.”

The four immediately shifted their focus from extinguishing the fire to rescuing the elderly woman trapped inside her vehicle.

“The fire was getting bigger and bigger by the second,” Mavez said. But the four MTS workers did not let fear or danger get in their way. They were able to shatter the van’s windows and pull the woman out, saving her from the fire and thick smoke.

For Meisenholder, who has elderly family members of his own, the experience was visceral.

“I felt for her and just wanted her to be okay,” he said.

The events resonated close to home for Mavez as well.

“A month before this scenario happened, I had an uncle that passed away in the same exact way. I wasn’t thinking about that in the moment, but after the whole scenario happened, it made me really think, ‘this is like my uncle in the car and now I’m rescuing him,’” he said.

Meisenholder said that this situation demonstrated the true power of union solidarity.

“I feel confident and closer to them [Mavez, Warford and Medellin] knowing that we all had each other’s back. We all just did what had to be done,” he explained.

Mavez added that as municipal workers, “we should be held up to a standard. We work for the public, so we should be able to do what we can to help others.”

The four SMART members were honored for their heroic actions by the MTS Board, with Chairman Stephen Whitburn and CEO Sharon Cooney conducting a ceremony of recognition.

Thank you to Brothers Mavez, Meisenholder, Warford and Medellin for showing exactly what our union stands for. Without these four brothers’ bravery, compassion and heroism, the situation could have ended very differently.