SMART-TD announces a price reduction for the Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) going into effect on August 1, 2023

This July, the Trustees of Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) are scheduled to meet to discuss plan design changes aimed at bringing about additional benefits for our members and making the program easier to participate in for members currently enrolled in the Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BRCF) or the Locomotive Engineers & Conductors Mutual Protective Association (LECMPA).

Among the action items the trustees are looking to improve is an assessment reduction for plan participants. As a result of the overwhelming support for this change, the trustees convened and approved yesterday a reduction of 25 cents per $1 of daily benefit coverage. 

SMART-TD President Jeremy Ferguson, who sits on the Board of Trustees for DIPP, made the announcement yesterday that the “wheels are in motion” to make this change effective as soon as possible.

Effective August 1, 2023, the assessment for DIPP coverage will be reduced by 25 cents per $1 of daily benefit coverage. DIPP is the gold standard of income protection for workers in the railroad industry. Our DIPP program is proud to have a 90% rate of claims approval and with PSR compounding the rate of incidents, this consideration is more important now than ever before. Please see the announcement below that came out on May 3rd for details on the assessment reduction as well as information on where to find information on participating in DIPP.

SMART Transportation Division and the Trustees of the Discipline Income Protection Program (DIPP) are pleased to announce a reduction in monthly assessments.

Effective Aug. 1, 2023, the monthly assessment for DIPP participants will be reduced from 75 cents to 50 cents per $1 of daily benefit coverage. DIPP coverage ranges from $6 to $250 per day, ensuring that a participant covered by DIPP who is suspended, dismissed, or removed from service by a carrier for an alleged violation of rules or operating procedures will continue to receive income.

Participants in DIPP also have the added flexibility of electing to increase their benefit level or to modify their coverage at any time by submitting the appropriate form to the Transportation Division office.

This announcement is informational, and no action is required on the part of plan participants at this time. The reduction in assessments will be communicated to Local Treasurers so that the necessary changes to current participants’ payroll deductions are made in a timely manner before Aug. 1.

DIPP trustees are SMART General President Joseph Sellers Jr., SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell, and SMART-TD President Jeremy R. Ferguson.

For more information on DIPP, visit the SMART website or email DIPP_TD@smart-union.org for further details.