Federal Legislation Levels Playing Field for Rail Workers

(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters are commending the Senate Budget Committee for unanimously voting to pass the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act.

“The economy would grind to a halt without these men and women, so Congress needs to make sure their unemployment and sickness benefits are protected,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “We’re demanding the Senate pass this bill as quickly as possible.”

Railroad workers receive unemployment insurance and sickness benefits from a federally overseen fund, the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account (RUIA). Unlike other unemployment, disability, or sickness benefits, these payments are unjustly subjected to congressional budget sequestration. In practice, that means a percentage of these earned benefits that should be going to railroaders is instead sent back to the federal government.

“The RUIA is employer funded, just like state-level funds for unemployment insurance,” said Eddie Hall, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “There is absolutely no reason that Congress should continue to permit the unfair diversion of these benefits from our members. Congress needs to pass the REEF Act immediately.”

“We’d like to thank Senators Deb Fischer, Sherrod Brown, Amy Klobuchar and a bipartisan coalition of co-sponsors for their leadership on this issue,” said Tony Cardwell, President of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes. “This legislation is about fairness and equity for railroaders, and we urge its swift passage into law.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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