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The IAM recently showed support on Capitol Hill for bills ensuring families have paid leave when they or their family members get sick.
IAM reps then hit the halls of Congress for Rail Safety Day, advocating support for the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness (REEF) Act and the Railway Safety Act of 2023.
IAM Assistant Political and Legislative Director Ty Richardson, along with Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen leadership and members and SMART representatives, lobbied staff and members of Congress.
The IAM Rail Division recently praised the committee passage of the bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023 and is calling for a full Senate vote on the legislation.
“It is good to see some common sense safety improvements come after the tragedy in East Palestine, which benefits both railroaders and the public,” said Josh Hartford, Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division. “By requiring that properly-trained Qualified Mechanical Inspectors are being utilized, and by increasing the frequency of locomotive inspections, this bill ensures that our highly-skilled members are holding our nation’s locomotives to the highest standards,”
The IAM is also putting pressure on legislators to vote yes on the REEF Act which would permanently exempt railroad unemployment and sickness benefits from budget sequestration reductions.
