Category Archives: TCU Blog

NTSB faults FRA for failure on sleep apnea

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ripped into President Trump’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for its prolonged failure to implement proper safety rules and guidelines regarding worker fatigue and sleep apnea. The NTSB’s special investigative report details its findings on two accidents: New Jersey Transit’s accident in Hoboken, NJ, in September, 2016, and the Long

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AMTRAK Agreement Update – Ratification Packages are in the Mail

Amtrak Ratification Packages at the Post Office to be mailed.   On February 1, 2018 – a comprehensive ratification package was mailed to all TCU Carmen, Clerical, Supervisor, and On-Board Service Worker members under the Amtrak Agreement. Ballots were mailed to the addresses of record. Members not receiving a ballot for any reason may request

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AMTRAK AGREEMENT UPDATE

As previously reported — after three long and contentious years of negotiations, TCU Carmen, Clerks, On-Board Service Workers and Supervisors have reached a Tentative Agreement (TA) with Amtrak, together with our coalition partners, IAM, IBB, IBEW, SMART Mechanical, NCFO, TWU and UNITE-HERE. Subsequently, SMART-Transportation (formerly UTU) has also initialed a similar agreement. The TA now

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CNN op-ed: Amtrak funding tops list of infrastructure needs

As America awaits a long-overdue infrastructure plan from President Trump, one opinion writer highlighted a few of America’s greatest infrastructure needs on CNN. Kate Ascher, a principal at BuroHappold Engineering, listed a number of items on which our country should focus, but first on her list was providing adequate funding for Amtrak’s interstate and long-distance rail. 

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Rail Labor Welcomes Senator Doug Jones

On Wednesday, labor unions joined together to host a reception in honor of newly-elected Senator Doug Jones of Alabama. Sen. Jones won a hotly contested special election in December over controversial candidate Roy Moore. He now takes over the seat once held by current Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  Rail labor – including TCU – invested

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RRB Annuitants May Need to Increase Tax Withholding at Age 62

Certain portions of a railroad retirement annuity are treated differently for Federal income tax purposes. A recent release from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) explains these differences and address the importance of individuals establishing accurate tax withholding from their annuities. Certain beneficiaries, including those retiring at age 60 with at least 30 years of service,

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