Only for members covered under the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan: As of June 10, 2020, there are still over 8,214 railroad members who have NOT verified or provided valid documents to Railroad Enrollment Services. With these outstanding members, there are 8,214 spouses and approximately 1,600 step-children that will lose coverage at the
TCU National President Bob Scardelletti and National President-elect Artie Maratea issued the following statement on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s INVEST in America Act: “After decades of calling for massive investments in our country’s infrastructure, the INVEST in America Act finally delivers. This is the kind of bold, transformative legislation that will lead rail
Larry Willis, President of the Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO (TTD), of which TCU is a member, testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, And Transportation in a hearing titled: “THE STATE OF TRANSPORTATION AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC” In the written statement from TTD president Willis: On behalf
The RRB announces that the $1,200 per 2-week registration benefit period as provided under the CARES Act began issuing payments to members who filed unemployment claims on April 1 or later. The RRB does advise that these benefits will be subject to income taxation and garnishment for tax and other legally established debt. The next
Amtrak recently requested nearly $1.5 billion in supplemental funding from the federal government in fiscal 2021 to maintain “minimum service levels,” anticipating ridership will not recover to pre-pandemic levels in fiscal 2021. Amtrak also announced a reduction of up to 20 percent of its staff. The reductions will come to about 3,700 jobs. Amtrak is
In a recent release from the Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO (TTD), of which TCU is a member: The past three years have shined a spotlight on two vastly different Americas. In one, the richest among us continue to amass wealth and influence, seemingly unaffected by economic and political crises. In the other, working-class people struggle
On April 12, 2019, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) granted the BNSF Railway (BNSF) a test waiver to conduct a pilot program on the carrier’s Southern Transcon trains between Chicago, IL, and California to “demonstrate that the use of wheel temperature detectors to prove brake health effectiveness (BHE) will improve safety, reduce risks to employees,
The IAM released a notice advising that the 40th IAM Grand Lodge Convention has been rescheduled for September 12-17, 2021, in San Diego, at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. The notice also outlines certain procedures for the election of delegates and alternate delegates. Most importantly, the letter outlines procedures for the election of delegates
A message from John Bragg, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) labor member, released on May 21st, stated that the increased $1,200 in unemployment benefits from the CARES Act will begin to be deposited next week. From RRB Labor Member John Bragg: In my last update, I explained that Phase 2 of the RRB’s CARES Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, recently signed into law by President Trump, authorized extended unemployment insurance (UI) benefits for railroad workers sidelined during the COVID-19 pandemic. After making necessary programming changes to agency systems, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) began processing and paying extended benefits on May 11.
