The BLET is supporting a new bipartisan bill in Congress that would provide rail workers with tax exemptions on their overtime pay.
The “No Tax on Overtime for All Workers Act” was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY). In addition to Rep. Malliotakis, original cosponsors are Reps. Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY).
Mark Wallace, BLET National President and President of the Teamsters Rail Conference, said BLET and Teamster Rail Conference lobbyists led the way and worked tirelessly to help advance introduction of the bill. He also expressed appreciation to the bipartisan coalition of legislators for introducing the bill and taking positive steps to address the concerns of BLET members.
As background, legislation passed earlier this year granted tax exemptions on overtime pay to workers governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new legislation expands on the previous bill and, if passed, would grant tax exemptions on overtime pay to BLET members and all other workers governed by the Railway Labor Act. Under the proposed bill, rail workers would be able to deduct up to $25,000 of overtime pay from their annual income for tax purposes.
BLET and Teamster lobbyists are currently advocating for introduction of a companion bill in the U.S. Senate. BLET members are encouraged to ask their Representatives in the House to consider co-sponsoring this legislation. A “Take Action” alert will be available in the coming days.