The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (the Board) has announced in-person Pre-Retirement Seminars. Union officials, auxiliary members, and their spouses are welcome to attend, as well as rail employees and spouses within 5 years of retirement. Find below a schedule of the upcoming Pre-Retirement Seminars to be held by the Board during the period of April
Our April TCU Veteran of the Month is Brother Nicholas Contreras. Brother Contreras was drafted and served in the United States Army from March 1954 to March 1956. During his service, he completed 16 weeks of Basic and Advanced Infantry Training in Fort Bliss, Texas, and was stationed in Pittsburg, PA. Brother Contreras has been
TCU-supported nominees were appointed to the Surface Transportation Board’s (STB) Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC) on Thursday, March 28th. STB announced the PRAC in November 2023 to provide guidance and make recommendations to the Board on passenger rail issues across the country. The Committee’s goals are to improve efficiency on passenger rail routes, reduce disputes
TCU/IAM’s Local Lodge 6114 Local Chairman John Dancer’s son, Will Dancer, has recently had some huge accomplishments on the basketball court. On February 10, 2024, Will Dancer and his team won the 2024 Home School League Arkansas State Championship 16u Division. In addition to winning the Championship, Will was selected for the State All-Star Team.
In the wake of the East Palestine derailment, and despite public outcry to pass legislation to improve rail safety nationwide, House Republican leadership has so far refused to even hold a hearing, let alone put forward legislation. Last week, House Democrats took matters into their own hands by holding a Rail Safety Roundtable featuring workers
In a response to letter from the Association of American Railroads (AAR), Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg reiterated his major concerns regarding the downward trajectory of safety in the freight rail industry. In the letter, Secretary Buttigieg stated, “The major freight railroads are widely and increasingly regarded as being obsessed with quarterly profits and
On Wednesday, March 6th, the Senate Budget Committee passed the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act out of committee. The bill, which passed the committee with unanimous bipartisan support, would remove railroad retirement benefits from budget sequestration. In the Budget Control Act of 2011, a 5.7% cut was mandated for railroad retirement unemployment and
The Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) congratulates Congressman-elect Tom Suozzi on winning the special election for New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, February 13th. A longtime supporter of rail labor, Tom Suozzi has specifically supported TCU Unit 167 members throughout his career. TCU Unit 167 represents various crafts at Long Island Railroad (LIRR), Metro North,
TCU/IAM Local Lodge 2508 member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Alexandra Villarreal, founded a Women’s Committee specifically for On-Board Amtrak workers in the LA area and is giving back to the community. “I wanted to create a Women’s Committee because there’s never been anything like it [locally] in my 24 years of service.
Transportation Communications Union National President Arthur Maratea formally endorsed former Representative Tom Suozzi for the open seat in New York’s 3rd Congressional District. The special election will be held on February 13th, 2024. In the letter, President Maratea referenced former Rep. Suozzi’s prior support of TCU members on Long Island Railroad, specifically the former Congressman’s efforts
