First and foremost, Fleming said, it must be clear that we want 30/55 retirement and are willing to pay the costs to get it. It is not enough to simply say we want it; just saying we want it and no more only undermines our ability to get it. Again, we must be willing -- and demonstrate our willingness -- to pay for it.

According to the actuary from the Railroad Retirement Board, this will cost between 6.2 and 7.2 percent in additional Railroad Retirement taxes, plus an additional .6 percent in taxes to provide a limited benefit to surviving spouses of railroad workers who are not currently old enough to obtain the surviving spouse benefit. It also must be clear that the 6.8 to 7.8 percent increase does not pay for and therefore does not include health insurance between the ages of 55 and 65 when a retiree becomes eligible for Medicare.

It also must be understood that while BMWE leadership will struggle vigorously to get the best labor agreement in the upcoming round of bargaining, the costs for 30/55 and the improved spousal benefit will ultimately come from the settlement. It is totally misleading to act as if there is no relationship between the costs of an agreement settlement and the achievement of 30/55 and improsed spousal benefit.

We also must convince the railroads and the other crafts to support 30/55. We must build this issue, including a recognition of the costs to achieve it, throughout Rail Labor to even stand a chance of obtaining 30/55 through Congressional legislative reform.

President Fleming called for the creation of local lodge 30/55 retirement committees in order to properly mobilize for this struggle. Members on the committees will be asked to actively contact members of lodges from other rail crafts to gain their support for 30/55 and provide them with information. Ultimately, it is hoped that 30/55 committees across craft lines will be established, with a chairman directly in touch with officers of the various unions which comprise the committee.

It is also strongly recommended that committee members also take responsibility for helping to register every BMWE member and their family to vote because much of this fight is legislative. A well organized population prepared to keep on top of the issues and vote against politicians who do not do the will of the people is our only leverage to keep politicians in line. We will never be able to match the resources of the railroads and Corporate America in buying politicians, so we must be organized, registered to vote and voting to get them to support us.