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GEORGIA:
Autonomous technology a factor as BLET secures short line organizing victory at Georgia Central Railway
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The specter of job loss to autonomous train technology played a role as the BLET scored a significant short line organizing victory on October 22. A majority of train and engine service employees at the Georgia Central Railway voted to join BLET in a representation election certified by the National Mediation Board.
It marks the union’s fifth short line organizing victory since mid-2023. As was the case with all BLET’s recent short line organizing victories, the 31 Georgia Central workers cited improved pay, stronger discipline protection, and better working conditions as reasons for joining BLET. However, they also said they wanted union protection in the face of growing threats to their jobs from automation and artificial intelligence.
Earlier this year, Georgia Central petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration for a waiver of compliance from certain safety regulations in order to begin testing unmanned, autonomous train technology known as Parallel Systems. Even though certified locomotive engineers would be utilized to monitor the technology, BLET Vice President & National Legislative Representative Vince Verna testified against the waiver at an FRA hearing on March 12, where he said the technology was “not ready for prime time.” BLET also filed formal written comments in opposition to the waiver.
One Georgia Central worker said: “It was brought to our attention that the railroad was going to start using autonomous trains, and basically, us short line guys were going to be the guinea pigs. We knew there could be a lot of jobs lost due to new technology. No job stays the same forever.”
The BLET Organizing Department has been on a roll with four new properties organized in 2024 and one in 2023. The BLET welcomed workers from the Arizona Eastern Railway in June 2024, the COASTER commuter railroad in July 2024, and Transglobal Solutions/TGS Cedar Port Railroad in October 2024. Workers at the Florida Gulf and Atlantic voted to join BLET in 2023.
BLET National Vice President Randy Fannon, who heads the BLET’s Organizing Department, said Division 210 (Macon, Ga.) Local Chairman Marco Handberry was instrumental to the success of the Georgia Central organizing drive. Brother Handberry volunteered to attend multiple meetings where he talked with the Georgia Central workers and explained the benefits of belonging to the BLET.
Georgia Central is a 211-mile Genesee & Wyoming property that runs from Savannah to Macon, Ga. It interchanges with CSX in Savannah and Norfolk Southern in Macon.
Photo courtesy of Joseph Randall.
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2024 ELECTION:
Sherrod Brown strengthens pro-labor record as he fights to protect CSX jobs in Northeast Ohio
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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) at a news conference in 2023 calling for passage of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act.
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U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has a long history of supporting rail unions and the rights of workers. His commitment to workers extends beyond speeches and photo opportunities — his actions speak for themselves.
Last month, he stood up for workers at CSX when the railroad announced it would implement a plan to remove train crew stops at Collinwood Rail Yard in Cleveland, Ohio. The plan would force employees to relocate to other CSX rail yards roughly 180 miles away in Buffalo, N.Y., or 80 miles away in Willard, Ohio — or be laid off. Those union jobs are now safe after Senator Brown publicly pressured CSX CEO Joe Hinrichs on behalf of the workers. In 2024, Senator Brown authored the Railway Safety Act in response to the fiery rail disaster in East Palestine, Ohio.
Actions like these are part of the reason why the BLET endorsed Senator Brown for reelection. BLET National President Eddie Hall said: “Senator Sherrod Brown has consistently fought to protect the rights of union workers. As Ohio faces critical challenges in rail safety and labor rights, the stakes could not be higher. Ohioans need a senator who will stand up for workers, not corporate profits. Sherrod Brown is that senator, and his proven track record of supporting unions and promoting safety makes him the right choice for Ohio’s working families.”
Want to know more about the record of candidates on this Fall’s presidential election ballot and if promises made were promises kept? The National Division has published an analysis to compare and contrast how each administration (2016-2020 vs. 2020- to the present) has handled various issues of importance to the BLET, rail labor, rail safety, and the industry as a whole. To read these points of comparison between the two administrations — which include issues such as Railroad Retirement funding, Amtrak funding, two-person crews, and Mexican crews operating in the United States — please visit the National Division website.
This is the most critical election in our lifetimes. Early voting is already underway in States that allow it, as well as vote by mail and absentee voting. Check with your state to see the requirements to vote. You can find out your state’s voting requirements by entering your address in the Take Action portal and it will provide you with all the details about voting requirements and polling places in your state. You should make every attempt to vote early and think of November 5 as the final day to do so, not the only day. The BLET National Division also published a list of voting recommendations prepared by BLET’s State Legislative Board Chairmen. These recommendations can be found in the Members’ Area of the National Division website. You must first log in to access the information. First-time users will need to register, a quick and easy process that takes just a few minutes. Click here to view in the Members’ Area.
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ACT NOW:
Deadline is October 31 to enroll in 2025 Health FSA program
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Currently happening until midnight on October 31, 2024, you can enroll or change your Medical or Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefit selections for the 2025 benefit year. Members must enroll in the Health FSA every year — FSA enrollment is not automatic each year, and interested members should act soon so they do not miss out on enrollment for the 2025 Plan Year.
Your Track to Health (YTTH) is your online enrollment site — it provides the ability to view your personal information, update dependent information, view enrollment materials, or opt out of coverage. Go to https://ytth.com to learn more. If you need further assistance, please call Railroad Enrollment Services at 1-800-753-2692 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. EDT).
A negotiated benefit obtained in the 2012 National Agreement, the Health FSA lets you put pre-tax dollars deducted from your paycheck into a special account to help pay for eligible medical, pharmacy, dental and vision expenses. When you enroll, you choose your FSA contribution amount. You can contribute as little as $10 per month ($120 annually), or as much as $3,200 annually. If the IRS raises the maximum in 2025, you will be able to elect up to that amount.
Administered by United Healthcare, the Health FSA provides you with a special Health Care Spending Card to easily pay for eligible FSA expenses. The Card is connected to your flexible spending account, so there is no need to write checks or submit claim forms.
To help with planning, the FSA Calculator Tool on the Your Track To Health website allows you to input annual estimated out-of-pocket costs for medical services (such as deductibles, co-payments, eye exams, dental exams, etc.), then shows you how much money you will save on taxes by using the FSA. The Your Track to Health website also provides a list of common eligible expenses, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), FSA tips and best practices, and a brief description of how the plan works.
Except as noted at the end of this paragraph, locomotive engineers and Tex-Mex train service employees covered by the Health & Welfare portion of the National Agreement, dated January 5, 2012, are eligible to participate in the FSA Plan. The national FSA is distinct and separate from the on-property BNSF FSA Plan and while that Plan also requires annual registration, BNSF engineers are not required to participate in the FSA open enrollment described in this article. Also, BLET members subject to the September 16, 2011 UTU National Agreement are currently eligible to participate in the Health FSA program provided for in that Agreement.
Open enrollment ends at midnight on October 31, 2024. For more details about the Health FSA, please call the FSA Customer Care Center at (888) 298-9754 or visit the Your Track To Health website.
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RRB OPERATING BUDGET CONCERNS:
Chronic underfunding continues to plague Railroad Retirement Board
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Like other federal agencies, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has been operating under a continuing resolution since October 1, 2024, the start of fiscal year (FY) 2025. The temporary funding measure provides the agency with continuing appropriations of $27.9 million through December 20, 2024.
The continuing resolution avoided a potential governmentwide shutdown, as Congress was unable to reach agreement on FY 2025 spending bills before the beginning of the new fiscal year.
However, the RRB continues to face chronic underfunding by Congress. Regarding FY 2025 funding for the RRB, the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved a spending level of $129 million, while the House Committee on Appropriations has proposed just $100 million. Congress previously cut the RRB’s FY 2024 budget, which severely impacted agency operations. While the Senate’s proposal reverses that cut and provides the agency a small 0.78 percent increase from FY 2023, the proposed appropriation of $129 million is still $5 million less than the President’s request, $43.3 million less than the RRB’s request, and significantly short of what the agency needs to carry out its mission.
With a $129 million budget in FY 2025, the RRB will be forced to continue its existing hiring freeze and operational cutbacks, while continuing to lose decades of institutional knowledge through retirements. Further, the RRB will be unable to move forward with its multi-year information technology modernization project, resulting in continued dependence on antiquated systems and inefficient processes, and a further deterioration of service to the nation’s railroad employees and their families.
Railroad employees and their families deserve proper service during their more vulnerable years — especially since they have paid more for it. The RRB needs sufficient funding to increase staffing, continue to make needed IT improvements, keep field offices open to the public, and adequately execute its mission. Its constituents expect and deserve no less.
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NEWS FOR RETIREES:
Cost-of-living adjustment will boost railroad retirement benefits; Retirees can earn more in 2025
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Most railroad retirement annuities, like social security benefits, will increase in January 2025 based on a rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the third quarter of 2023 to the corresponding period of the current year. Cost-of-living increases are calculated in both the tier I and tier II portions of a railroad retirement annuity. The tier I portion, like social security benefits, will increase by 2.5 percent, which is the percentage of the CPI rise. The tier II portion will go up by 0.8 percent, which is 32.5 percent of the CPI increase. Vested dual benefit payments and supplemental annuities also paid by the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) are not adjusted for the CPI change. This follows a 3.2 percent increase in the tier I portion and a 1.0 percent increase in the tier II portion of railroad retirement annuities in January 2024. For more information, please visit the Railroad Retirement Board website.
Meanwhile, railroad retirement annuitants subject to earnings restrictions can earn more in 2025 without having their benefits reduced due to increased limits indexed to average national wage increases. For those under full retirement age throughout 2025, the exempt earnings amount rises to $23,400 from $22,320 in 2024. For beneficiaries attaining full retirement age in 2025, the exempt earnings amount, for the months before the month full retirement age is attained, increases to $62,160 in 2025 from $59,520 in 2024. For those under full retirement age, the earnings deduction is $1 for every $2 of earnings over the exempt amount. For those attaining full retirement age in 2025, the deduction is $1 for every $3 of earnings over the exempt amount in the months before the month in which full retirement age is attained. More specifics are available here on the RRB website.
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VETERANS DAY 2024:
Attention veterans — share your stories and photos with BLET
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Veterans Day 2024 is approaching. Are you a veteran? Do you have a family member, friend or coworker who is a veteran? Do you have a story of camaraderie or sacrifice that you’d like to share in honor of veterans? The BLET National Division would like to hear from you. You can write about a memorable moment during your service, the challenges vets face coming home or any other aspect of a military career or engagement with other veterans after discharge from the service. The stories can be humorous, serious, or even somber.
Please consider sending your story and/or photos to BLET Editor John Bentley at jbentley@ble-t.org, Submissions will be included in a future issue of the Weekly Recap newsletter.
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LET THE GOURD TIMES ROLL:
Happy Halloween from the BLET
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Happy Halloween to all BLET members and their families. We are pleased to share this photo from Brother Rhett Harbeson, who carved up some BLET-inspired fun for Halloween this year. He is the Local Chairman of BLET Division 561 in Richmond, Virginia.
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