CLEVELAND, April 7 — BLET members are being asked once again to contact the U.S. Senate to express their opposition to a bill that will take away some of railroad workers’ rights under the under the Federal Employers Liability Act. The AFL-CIO’s Transportation Trades Department strongly opposes the bill, S. 1125.
Known as the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act, S. 1125, will do away with some of the railroad workers’ compensation rights under FELA. According to the TTD, there is no crisis in the railroad industry regarding the asbestos issue. Railroads already get a substantial legal break under the FELA because they do not have to pay the punitive damage awards that are common in other industries.
“For many years, the nation’s railroads have been trying to do away with FELA, but labor has always held its ground on the issue,” said BLET National President Don Hahs. “Now, with S. 1125, the railroads are trying to chip away at it one bit at a time. This is just another way for railroads to get out of paying workers whom have been injured on the job. The previous responses to this request were excellent, but more needs to be done, so I urge all BLET members to let their Senators know how they feel about this issue.”
The TTD and the BLET are asking members to contact their U.S. Senate either by phone at (877) 331-2000, or through the TTD website at http://www.ttd.org, and to ask them to vote no on S. 1125.