At press time it appeared likely that the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) would accept joint recommendations from labor and management on ways to update the disability standards without harming rail workers’ benefits.

The recommendations, negotiated over the last five months, would replace management-proposed changes that would have severely cut the number of workers eligible for disability benefits and made it significantly more costly for workers to win coverage.

"BMWE members played a crucial role in winning these new disability standards," said President Mac A. Fleming. "When management tried to force through their own one-sided regulations, our members stood strong and were willing to risk their jobs to keep what is rightfully theirs."

Under the negotiated settlement, workers with 240 qualifying months under railroad retirement who are no longer able to perform the work of their craft are guaranteed a disability benefit from the RRB. This is as it was prior to the unilateral changes the RRB attempted to impose in December 1996.

Management also agreed to keep the system "cost neutral" to applicants, and to eliminate duplicative tests. Under a summary of joint principles, management agreed not to make tests any more "invasive or burdensome than necessary to determine qualification for a disability benefit."

The new standards apply only to applicants who file after the changes are adopted; individuals judged under the previous rules will remain under those standards for re-evaluation purposes.

"The occupational disability settlement meets rail labor’s concerns in ensuring that the rail workers are treated fairly and are justly compensated should they become unable to perform their job," said Fleming. "This is what management should have done from the start--worked with rail labor to develop sensible and equitable adjustments to the disability system."

The RRB is preparing a summary of the new occupational disability standards. The BMWE will distribute the summary as soon as it is released following the RRB vote.