Retirement is a phase of life that should be cherished and celebrated. Especially for those who have spent their careers in the railroad industry! The National Association of Retired and Veteran Railroad Employees (NARVRE) understands the value of this transition and offers a supportive community that goes beyond retirement. Joining the existing NARVRE members is beneficial, and you play a significant role in growing this community.
Back in the 1930s, there was a growing worry that the current pension programs were insufficient to provide retired railroad workers with the necessary support. Especially when they became older and unable to work. To address this concern, Congress set up a national railroad retirement system. If you are a retired railroad worker, you know your benefits differ from Social Security’s. Although both programs share some similarities, there are some notable differences in funding and benefit structure. Keep reading as we highlight some critical areas where these two retirement programs differ.
NARVRE Members:
After several months of warnings and four days before the U.S. Treasury debt default, Congress finally passed a legislative compromise raising the nation’s borrowing limit. The House approved the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 with a vote of 314-117, followed by the Senate with a vote of 63-36 the following evening. The President signed the bill into law on June 3, 2023.
Since the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is a federal agency, it is required to submit a fiscal year budget in preparation for the President’s yearly budget review. Present day, the Railroad Retirement Board funding is $128M. The President’s FY24 budget for the Railroad Retirement Board is $138.575M. While this is an increase, it only supports around 729 full-time employees.
From Desk of National Legislative Director Gary Faley
NARVRE Members, we need to step up and help our fellow railway workers. Please make the call.
Most of us have been looking forward to the day we can finally enjoy retirement. However, before you decide to retire, it is essential that you are financially ready to retire. Ask yourself these questions:
Did you know that if you receive Medicare benefits through railroad Medicare, you are eligible to use Accountable Care Organizations and have access to their many benefits? In this post, we will share the benefits of these organizations and why you might consider joining them as a railroad retiree and member of NARVRE.
We are now in the second month of 2023, and thankfully due to the increase in COLA, you should be receiving more money since the COLA benefit rose to 8.7% in Tier 1 and 2.8% in Tier 2 for railroad retirement benefits.
It has been an eventful few months for railroad workers as a possible strike loomed at the end of last year, 2022. However, President Biden has signed a resolution from Congress that imposes a tentative contract agreement. Congress passed the resolution on December 2, binding rail workers to the tentative contract agreement to avert the first national rail strike in decades.