Despite the so-called agreement announced recently by various labor organizations, TCU remains in opposition to any health care reform legislation that is funded by taxing the value of workers’ existing health care benefits. “The benefits that our members currently have are hard fought and have endured through collective bargaining and negotiations. Many times pay and
“This is Leadership” Washington, D.C., January 11, 2010 – The Executive Council of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has voted unanimously to oppose any health care reform legislation that is funded by taxing the value of workers’ existing health care benefits. For decades, IAM members exchanged substantial wage increases for the
After a long, hard fight, we’re down to our final opportunities to make sure that the health care reform passed this year works for TCU members and working families all over the country. Call your representative Wednesday, Jan. 13, as part of a national call-in day on health care reform. Urge your friends to call
On Tuesday, December 15th the House Committee on Appropriations released a summary of the Jobs for Main Street Act that has been approved by the House and will be voted on in the Senate after the holiday break. The Act if passed will provide funding for Amtrak and for rail repairs. The funding will be:
On December 8, 2009 the appropriations committees reached a final agreement on the 2010 Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, which includes funding for high speed rail and Amtrak. The measure will be included in omnibus package of six appropriations bills and a vote on the House floor may come soon. The transportation appropriation provides $2.5 billion
TCU joins Senator Sanders (I-VT), AFL-CIO and workers saying that taxing workers’ health benefits is just plain wrong. “We commend Senator Sanders for standing with America’s working families and introducing an amendment to strike this provision from the Senate health reform legislation,” said AFL-CIO Executive Vice-President Arlene Holt Baker. TCU will constantly maintain that workers
In a letter sent to every Senator on November 17, 2009 TCU, and others in rail labor, express deep opposition to any provision that would tax health care programs negotiated and maintained through railroad collective bargaining. The letter firmly states, “We are fundamentally opposed to this proposed tax, which not only puts the benefits currently
The House and Senate both passed extensions of unemployment insurance and the homebuyer’s tax credit. The unemployment extension would allow workers in all 50 states to draw 14 weeks of federal unemployment benefits after exhausting their regular 26 weeks of state compensation. It would provide an additional six weeks in states with unemployment rates of
Health care reform is the No. 1 priority in Congress right now for the first time in years. Insurance companies are spending millions to derail reform and special interests are trying to pay for changes by raising your costs through a new benefits tax. Call Congress and tell them no taxes on our benefits. Over
As we all know there is a huge fight for real health care reform in Congress. In the next several weeks it is anticipated that there will be major votes in Congress. We in the Labor Movement have to take a very active role in this to protect our benefits from unfair taxation, to seek
