RRB releases spring meeting, seminar schedule

The United State Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has issued its spring schedule of informational conferences and pre-retirement seminars for union officers and for rail workers respectively. Registration for both of these types of programs is required and available at the RRB website (www.rrb.gov).

RRB informational conferences

The RRB’s informational conference program was started by the Office of the Labor Member in 1957 to provide local union officers comprehensive information about the benefits available to rail employees and their families under the railroad retirement and unemployment insurance systems. Union officers who attend RRB can become better prepared to share accurate, reliable information with their members.
Union officials planning to attend an informational conference program must register either online or print a paper form from the RRB website then complete and return the registration form to your local RRB field office. These conferences are only open to Local union officers.

• If you plan on attending with your spouse or another guest, please indicate so in the designated fields on your registration form.
• If you register for a conference and become unable to attend, inform the RRB.
• Bring photo identification for entry to federal buildings; no weapons allowed.

Conferences with parking fees are marked with *.

• March 16, 2018: West Covina Library, 1601 West Covina Parkway, West Covina, Calif.
• March 23, 2018: Country Inn & Suites, 4500 Circle 75 Parkway, Atlanta, Ga.
• March 23, 2018: Maidu Community Center, 1500 Maidu Drive, Roseville, Calif.
• April 13, 2018: Hilton Garden Inn – Richmond Airport, 441 International Center Drive, Sandston, Va.
• April 13, 2018: Drury Inn & Suites (St. Louis Forest Park), 2111 Sulphur Avenue, St. Louis, Mo.
• April 20, 2018: Huntington Center, 23rd Floor Conference Room, 525 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio *
• April 20, 2018: Jacob K. Javits Federal Building, 6th Floor Conference Room A/B, New York, N.Y. *
• April 27, 2018: Holiday Inn Romulus, 8400 Merriman Road, Romulus, Mich.
• April 27, 2018: Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, 28500 West Park Highway, Ashland, Neb. *
• May 4, 2018: Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 2, 2902 Blue Ridge Boulevard, Kansas City, Mo.
• May 4, 2018: Corporate Conference Center, 180 East 5th Street, 2nd Floor, St. Paul, Minn. *
• May 11, 2018: Hampton Inn Altoona, 180 Charlotte Drive, Altoona, Pa.
• May 11, 2018: Comfort Inn & Suites Presidential, 707 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Ark.
• May 18, 2018: Sheet Metal Workers Local Union No. 33, 12525 Corporate Drive, Parma, Ohio
• May 18, 2018: Holiday Inn Denver (Lakewood), 7390 West Hamden Avenue, Lakewood, Colo.

RRB Pre-retirement seminar schedule

Designed for railroad employees and spouses planning to retire within five years, the pre-retirement seminars familiarize attendees with retirement benefits available to them, and also guide them through the application process. Registration is required.

• March 23, 2018: Maidu Community Center, 1500 Maidu Drive, Roseville, Calif.
• April 13, 2018: Robert A. Roe Federal Building, 200 Federal Plaza, 5th Floor (Room 527), Paterson, N.J.
• May 11, 2018: Roanoke South County Library, 6303 Merriman Road, Roanoke, Va.
• May 11, 2018: Hampton Inn Altoona, 180 Charlotte Drive, Altoona, Pa.
• May 23, 2018: IBEW Local 714 Union Hall, 1800 Commerce Drive, Bismarck, N.D.

Combined informational & pre-retirement programs

To help manage costs, the RRB is combining the following five officer conferences and pre-retirement seminars:

• March 23, 2018: Roseville, Calif.
• May 11, 2018: Altoona, Pa.
• Sept. 21, 2018: Bellevue, Wash.
• Nov. 16, 2018: Houston, Texas
• Dec. 7, 2018: Jacksonville, Fla.

The focus of these combined programs will be a presentation covering the various railroad retirement benefits available to rail employees and their families. The RRB will then close with a separate, brief presentation on railroad unemployment and sickness benefits, which will be shown to union officials only.
These five programs will be open by invitation to rail union officials and also to any interested rail employees and their spouses who are within five years of retirement. Officials will receive an invitation for their local informational conference, and in a later mailing, a promotional flyer for the same program which they are encouraged to share with fellow rail employees.
Union officials should register for combined events through the informational conference program webpage and all other attendees should use the promotional flyer, which is also available for printing on the pre-retirement seminars webpage of the RRB.