As a result of recently implemented budget cuts, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) must reduce railroad unemployment and sickness insurance benefits by 9.2 percent. These reductions stem from a sequestration order which President Obama filed on March 1, 2013, in accordance with the requirements of the Budget Control Act of 2011. The sequestration order sets
As Congress prepares to deliberate this year over the rewrite of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (PRIIA), we have the opportunity to make things right and finally match our pursuit of a modern economy with a modern transportation system. With 31 million riders and growing popularity, Amtrak had its best year ever in
The 19th Annual Dr. Gary Burch Memorial Safety Award is awarded from the Burch Family to the railroad worker who has done the most to improve the safety of railroad passengers. The award includes $1,000. Dr. Burch was chief of the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic at Eisenhower Hospital at Fort Gordon, Ga. He was
According to Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) policy, every annuitant has the right to manage his or her own benefits. However, when physical or mental impairments make a railroad retirement annuitant incapable of properly handling benefit payments, or where the RRB determines that the interests of the annuitant so require, the agency can appoint a representative
Fron Left to right; General Chairman/5087 Robert Dube, General Chairman/5150 Michael Jordan, General Chairman/5086 Michael Miller, National Representative Joseph Derillo, General Chairman/5088 Rick Luck, General Chairman/5058 Michael Lachica, General Chairman/5085 Joseph English During that meeting, the officers had the pleasure of meeting with members of Amtrak MofE in the Los Angeles area to hear their
The National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust (NRRIT) has released its quarterly update for the period ending December 31, 2012. Click here to view the update.
Amtrak lost $361 million in 2012, the lowest loss in 38 years. In statements by Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman that is good news that will help him make his case to Congress for a boost in capital investment. “We think the numbers are right. Now it’s time to start talking about what policies
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) Customer Service Plan promotes the principles and objectives of customer-driven quality service agency-wide. The RRB’s plan lays out the standards and expresses the time frames in terms of when the agency is required to make its decision to pay or deny an application for benefits. The plan states specifically
The amounts of compensation subject to railroad retirement tier I and tier II payroll taxes will increase in 2013. The tier I tax rates will remain the same on railroad employers, while railroad employees will see their effective tier I rate increase from 5.65 percent to 7.65 percent. The tier II tax rate on both
Former Lodge 319 Local Chairman Tom Rask presents Mick Ward (on the right) with a retirement plaque and watch. Mick Ward, former Local Chairman of Lodge 319 and a member of the board of trustees of System Board 46 when it closed, retired on January 8, 2013. Mick hired on DM&IR in April of 1973
