TCU sent a letter to be included in the upcoming TTD retirement tribute to former House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar, D-MN. TCU and the labor community lost one of its policy making giants in the midterm elections when House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar, D-Minn., was defeated by his Republican challenger
The model legislation is intended to help states address obstructions limiting a driver’s view of an oncoming train. Between 2001 and 2005 reports show that 689 collisions resulting in 242 injuries and 87 fatalities occurred at highway-rail grade crossings with sight obstructions. Click here to view the release from the FRA. Click here to read
Bob O’Connell, a Supervisor and member of TCU Local 5197, daughter Meghan is 12 years old and has been training in gymnastics since she was 7. She trains 6 days a week 3 hours a day. She recently won the gold medal at the World Championship in France. Meghan
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, signed recently by President Obama, also effects railroad workers. The law provides a 1 year reduction in employee payroll taxes and extends unemployment benefits for railroad employees. Click here to read the release from the RRB. Click here to view a listing of
TCU and the other unions in the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad (MBCR) Labor Coalition are asking the NMB to release them from mediation and proffer arbitration. MBCR has responded as expected and argued that a release would be premature at this time. Two days of talks on November 3 and 4 failed to produce an
By letter dated December 14, 2010, the National Mediation Board (NMB) turned down TCU’s November 3 request for a proffer of arbitration in its negotiations with the national freight railroads. Click here to see NMB letter. Similar denials were mailed by the NMB to the IAM, IBEW, ATDA, and TWU, all of whom are bargaining
President Obama signed new tax law December 17. We are highlighting two aspects of the law. 1 – Under current law employees pay a 6.2 percent Social Security tax on all wages earned up to $106,800. The new law provides a payroll tax holiday during 2011 of two percentage points. This means employees will pay
The amounts of compensation subject to railroad retirement tier I and tier II payroll taxes and the tier I and tier II tax rates on employees and employers remain the same in 2011. Railroad unemployment insurance tax rates paid by employers will include a 2.5 percent surcharge in 2011. Click here to read the full
On July 5, 2010, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) and the Ferrocarril Mexican Railway Company (FXE) petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for a test waiver of compliance to relieve BNSF from performing federally required tests and inspections on designated trains coming into the U.S. from Mexico at Eagle Pass, TX. TCU
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama required the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare plan to be amended to include coverage for dependent children up to age 26 and to remove the lifetime limits of coverage. The previous November 3rd deadline to register adult dependent children has been
