Fired. BNSF says workers are ‘too fat’

CHICAGO — At the BNSF Corwith intermodal yard here, the railroad has dumped a contractor and said it intends to hire its own workers to load and unload containers and trailers onto and off of flat cars, reports Chicago News Cooperative. This comes after BNSF told many o [...]

Isn’t it time to stop smoking?

What better gift to your health and your family’s health could there be than to resolve to stop smoking in 2011? Easier said than done. That’s for sure. But help is available. For UTU rail members covered by the national contract health plans, each of the medical benefi [...]

Federal jobless benefits expire for millions

WASHINGTON — Long term federal unemployment benefits expired Dec. 1 for hundreds of thousands of jobless as the lame-duck Congress failed to take action to extend them. Millions more will lose benefits if Congress does not act. Federal unemployment benefits had begun af [...]

Last chance to enroll dependent children

An agreement was reached with the carriers’ National Railway Labor Conference to extend until Dec. 31, 2010, the deadline for enrolling eligible dependent children for coverage under the National Railway Carriers and UTU Health and Welfare Plan (NRC/UTU) or the Railroad [...]

Update on 2011 Medicare premiums

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says that while the standard monthly Part B premium will rise to $115.40 in 2011, most Medicare beneficiaries will not see an increase in their monthly Part B premiums. This is because of a hold-harmless provision in current la [...]

Continuing income a concern for retirees

After a lifetime of hard work, SMART TD rail, bus and airline members look forward to a secure retirement. In an ideal world, it would be that simple. In the real world, careful planning and attention to detail are essential. Topping the list of retirement concerns are money [...]

Begin your document search early

To apply for Railroad Retirement or Social Security benefits, you must provide certain information, and it is suggested you begin the process at least three months prior to your anticipated retirement date. You will need the following information to register successfully for [...]

UTUIA helps provide secure retirements

How long will you live after you retire, and will you have enough money to live on comfortably? Good question. That’s why – before you retire – you should think about post-retirement economic security, because few things could be worse than money running out [...]

What is Medicare? How do I get started?

Medicare is the primary health insurance for retirees and their spouses. It is available for those over age 65, those under 65 with certain disabilities, and those of any age with permanent kidney failure. It consists of Parts A, B, C and D. Part A helps cover inpatient care [...]