By International President Mike Futhey Are things better now than they were three years ago? Have you witnessed an improvement in representation, union finances, internal procedures and management transparency since Arty Martin, Kim Thompson and I took office Jan. 1, 2008? He [...]
Federal law now requires the reporting of Social Security numbers (SSNs) for covered dependents to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Employees who have not yet provided dependent SSNs will have their dependents’ coverage terminated on July 31. This [...]
Train and engine workers are the eyes and ears of railroads — the first to spot trouble, and the first to suffer when trouble occurs. On railroads, trouble too often means career-ending injuries and death. The UTU Rail Safety Task Force was created by UTU International [...]
Paper checks may be a thing of the past for U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) beneficiaries who still receive them, under a recent initiative announced by the Department of the Treasury, according to the Railroad Retirement Board. One part of the Treasury initiative would [...]
If you are planning to retire in the coming months, you are sure to have concerns and many more questions. Understanding retirement benefits, Medicare and Medigap – and, especially, assuring you obtain all you are entitled to – is no simple task. There is help, however, and S [...]
(The following is a security alert from the UTU’s Rail Safety Task Force.) Rail security remains a constant threat to the nation’s railroads and our members. President Futhey wrote of this concern in a recent leadership message, “We need training to spot tro [...]
The maximum daily benefit rate payable for claims under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act increases to $66 from $64 in the new benefit year, which begins July 1, reports the Railroad Retirement Board. Benefits are normally paid for the number of days of unemployment or [...]
By UTU International President Mike Futhey The recent tragic, senseless and violent murder in New Orleans of CSX conductor Fred Gibbs, and wounding of the train’s engineer (a potential witness whose name is being withheld), accelerates an already urgent need for better [...]
By International President Mike Futhey Train and engine employees are the eyes and ears of every railroad, and most often the first to recognize threats and provide a response. The post 9/11 environment dangers now include foreign terrorist threats as well as home-grown threa [...]
Railroad retirement benefits are subject to reduction if an employee with less than 30 years of service retires before attaining full retirement age. While employees with less than 30 years of service may still retire at age 62, the age at which full retirement benefits are p [...]
SMART Union