On May 1 BMWE members and other rail union members distributed "Don’t PROD Us" stickers and educational flyers at railroad sites across the country in an effort to derail industry attempts to gut their occupational disability benefits. The industry’s proposal is known as the Presumptive Occupational Disability Standards or PRODS.

Last December, railroad companies used their two votes (the carrier member and the supposed-to-be neutral chairman) on the Railroad Retirement Board to weaken the disability provisions contained in the Railroad Retirement Act. If the new standards--PRODS--are imposed, denial rates could jump by 600 percent.

After most of rail labor threatened to strike, the carriers agreed to rescind the imposition of PRODS until July 1997 and to negotiate with the rail unions in the meantime.

Occupational disability annuities have been available to railroad workers under the Railroad Retirement Act since 1946, and over 58,000 rail workers now receive such benefits. Almost 4,000 workers need and apply for disability benefits annually.

Thirteen rail chiefs signed the April 15 letter calling for a Solidarity Day on May 1 "to send a powerful message to rail management" demonstrating the resolve and solidarity among rail labor over this issue.

Disconcerting reports from various parts of the country indicated that although 13 rail chiefs signed the letter sponsoring the Solidarity Day, some did not get this information out to their members. More troubling were the reports that some UTU members were specifically told not to participate.

But BMWE members were out in force. Two picket sites were set up at Conrail’s Buckeye yards in Columbus, Ohio, manned by 19 BMWE members, three Signalmen and one TCU member. Taking shifts, the members worked the sites from 12:01 a.m. May 1 until 12:01 a.m. May 2.

BMWE Vice Chairman Perry Rapier said this was a busy location and many flyers were passed out to employees as well as truck drivers entering the yards. Rapier added that despite the cold, windy, rainy weather, these members persevered and he was "very proud of their fine display of solidarity. These and other members like them are prepared to take whatever steps President Fleming feels are necessary in order to preserve these benefits."

Conrail Lodge 1562 members at this site were: Steve Chapman, Doug Losey, Melvin Francis, Mike McDonald, Bill Snyder, Jack Workman, Mark Fitch, Victor Cook, Tom Foster, Paul Nelson, Cliff Harness. Pennsylvania Lodge 3061 members included: Blair Campbell, John Serio, Bud Joseph, Barry Cummins, James Langley, Warren Smith, Ed Sellers.

Good media coverage was received by the members picketing at a BNSF headquarters in Galesburg, Illinois. Both Bob Almaguer, BMWE State Legislative Director, and Johnny Oeth, BMWE Local Chairman (Lodge 798) were quoted well in a Register-Mail article and the issue was presented fairly.

Timothy R. Even, BMWE Lodge 2825 Local Chairman, reported that almost 40 members manned the picket in Aberdeen, South Dakota in shifts throughout the day. In addition to members of Lodge 2825, which organized the event, there were members participating from BMWE Lodge 908, Signalmen (BRS) Local 156, Engineers (BLE) Local 726, Machinists (IAM) Local 112, TCU Local 340 and UTU Local 233.

At first the site was covered mostly by BMWE members and a few IAM members, but "as train crews began arriving in town that morning, we convinced many of them to fill in relief shifts and some chose to hang out for a while. There were some very lively discussions on the line," reported Even, "and, I think a little better understanding of each craft’s position." Even also personally thanked UTU Local Chairman Terry Osborn for his display of solidarity.

The Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO coordinated the overall event. The TTD is now ready to launch the second phase of its campaign to derail management’s attack on disability benefits. Using rail labor’s legislative representatives, select members of Congress will be visited and educated on this critical issue. BMWE Assistant to the President Mike DeEmilio is directing the BMWE’s efforts in the TTD-led campaign.