BLET News

Generally, the revisions incorporate the information provided in Questions and Answers published by FRA on November 4th. However, FRA also addressed the three specific items contained in the Petition for Amendment that the BLET filed on November 7th, and tightened the original requirement with respect to switch point indicators.

The lifetime maximum benefit for each individual covered under The Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan (UnitedHealthcare’s Policy GA-46000) is adjusted each year based on the medical cost component of the Consumer Price Index. As of January 1, 2006, this maximum will increase from $92,400 to $96,400.

After months of working together, Medco and the railroad unions that sponsor the coverage available to you under Group Policy GA-23111 are pleased to announce a new Medicare Part D prescription drug plan that has been created specifically for GA-23111 participants.

A remotely controlled locomotive (RCL) pulling dozens of freight cars collided with a Union Pacific freight train at UP’s Fife Yard near Tacoma, Wash., on November 13 at approximately 9:45 a.m. Pacific time.

Today, commuters traveling through Penn Station in Newark were greeted by rail workers warning of a possible Amtrak shutdown in their future. Locomotive engineers and maintenance of way workers who are represented by the Teamsters Rail Conference, passed out leaflets to hundreds of commuters using Amtrak.

The following is a statement by BLET National President Don M. Hahs on Veterans Day.

Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., is recruiting Locomotive Engineers to work in the following areas: Jacksonville, Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Lorton, Va. (Auto Train); Miami, Fla.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Florence, S.C.

Working families across the nation, from New Jersey and Virginia to California, have sent a strong message to Congress and the White House; it’s time to stand up for the American middle class.

The election results in California, New Jersey and Virginia are a win for working families. In California, voters have soundly defeated the anti-worker policies of Governor Schwarzenegger and his big business backers, rejecting their attempts to silence workers’ voices. In New Jersey and Virginia, voters have chosen as their next Governors leaders who are committed to standing up for the right of workers to join a union.

The Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), issued an advisory regarding Form LM-30 on November 7. An interim rule has been established by the DOL that increases the amount of the “de minimis exemption” from $25 to $250.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) on Friday published 29 questions and answers concerning Emergency Order No. 24 (EO 24), which will take effect on November 22. You can view or download the questions and answers from the link below.

An amendment giving long term funding to Amtrak has passed in the U.S. Senate. Amendment 2360 to S. 1932, Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005, passed by a margin of 93-6 today. S. 1932 is still being considered by the Senate.

A corrected version of the BLET Online Directory is now available. The correction was due to an error in the Designated Legal Counsel section.

BLET members are urged to contact their U.S. Senators today and ask them to support the Lott-Lautenberg amendment (#2360) to the Budget Reconciliation being considered tomorrow.

The Teamsters Disaster Relief Fund has established a deadline of November 14 for requests for funds from victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has set a November 22 deadline for an emergency order mandating that Union Pacific, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern, CSX and all other railroads take specific and immediate steps to fix a growing safety problem which has lead to an increasing number of train accidents, resulting in nine serious train crashes, ten fatalities and injuries to more than 600 people since January, 2005.

At a meeting today with leaders of the Republican Main Street partnership, President Bush promised to reinstate Davis-Bacon protections for workers in the Gulf Coast region starting November 8. The provision requires contractors on federally funded projects to pay workers the prevailing wages and benefits of the region.

Numerous security and safety breaches this month on the nation’s railways, including a man who allegedly hijacked a train with a bow and arrow, reinforce the findings of the Teamsters Rail Conference report, “HIGH ALERT: Workers Warn of Security Gaps on Nation’s Railroads.”

Space is still available for members interested in attending the Education & Training Department’s Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshop in Cleveland from December 4-7.

The Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation will hold a confirmation hearing for Kathryn Higgins to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board, on Tuesday, November 1.