Category: News
RRB: Comparison of benefits under Railroad Retirement and Social Security
Employers and employees covered by the Railroad Retirement Act pay higher retirement taxes than those covered by the Social Security Act. As a result, Railroad Retirement benefits are higher than Social Security benefits, especially for “career” employees (those employees who [...]Notice from Labor Member of the RRB: Update on American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Brothers and Sisters, As you may have heard, Congress recently enacted legislation to provide some financial relief to railroaders. In the legislation entitled the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), Congress essentially extended the benefits originally created by the CA [...]
Hazardous Materials Training Program to offer online courses in April
In April, the Hazardous Materials Training Program is planning to host three courses virtually: Disaster Recovery/Response Course (2 hours) COVID-19 and Infectious Disease Response Awareness Training Course (90 minutes) DOT Hazardous Materials Awareness Course (8 hours over t [...]
William Doak, an officer of predecessor union BRT, served as U.S. labor secretary
The confirmation by the U.S. Senate of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a member of the Laborers’ Union, to be President Joe Biden’s labor secretary ends a nearly 45-year absence of having a union member serve as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor. The last unionist to s [...]
Local 934 mourns as member dies in accident involving crew transport vehicle
SMART Transportation Division Local 934 member Curtis A. Deines, 52, a member of our union for more than 20 years, died before dawn on the morning of March 19 after the SUV he was being transported in was involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle on U.S. Highway 2 [...]
Palmetto GBA: A reminder on annual wellness visits for retirees
Medicare pays for an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). It’s an awesome free preventive service that so many Medicare patients have not been taking advantage of. Since the onset of COVID-19, the number of AWVs being performed has fallen drastically, as many people have chosen to pu [...]
Unions: With service cuts, LIRR leaders risk COVID spread and exhibit ‘lack of good faith’
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) implemented planned service cuts the morning of Monday, March 8, in spite of objections made weeks ago by union leadership and echoed by New York state senators just before the cuts went into effect. The result? Crowded cars and the potential for [...]
SMART IL Locals Delivering Three Truckloads of Water to Texans in Need
SMART Local 20 Ships $2k in Plumbing Supplies to TX Members CAROL STREAM, IL – SMART Illinois Locals 73, 219 and 265 have organized a “Texas water drive” to gather donations of bottled water and ship truckloads to families in Texas who lack access to clean water in the wake o [...]