Archive for November 2018
Final Open Enrollment of 2018 for the BLET Short-Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) Coverage
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, November 26 — The final open enrollment of 2018 for the BLET’s Short-Term Disability On-The-Job (Part B) insurance ends on November 30, 2018. Those who enroll will have their coverage take effect on December 1, 2018. This is your last opportunity in 2018 to enroll in the On-The-Job (Part B). There are no…
Read MoreFRA issues final rule regarding high-speed passenger rail operations
(Source: Federal Railroad Administration press release, November 20, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a final rule establishing modern, performance-based safety standards for railroad passenger equipment. The rule reinforces FRA’s commitment to safety while representing one of the most significant enhancements to the nation’s passenger rail design…
Read MoreHistoric price crash plunges Canadian oil patch into crisis
(Source: Bloomberg, November 21, 2018) NEW YORK — While the U.S. oil industry has hit a speed bump with the recent $20 drop in oil prices in New York, producers in Canada are in a full-blown crisis. Heavy Canadian crude has been on a downward spiral since mid-May, with prices plummeting by more than 60…
Read MoreGA-46000 Lifetime maximum adjusted for 2019
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, November 16 — The lifetime maximum benefit for the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit Plan (also known as ERMA or GA-46000) will increase from $162,500 to $166,400 on January 1, 2019. At the end of 2001, Labor and Management agreed on various procedures to administer the annual changes in the…
Read MoreIntroduction to precision railroading, part 3: where do we go from here?
(Source: freightwaves.com 11/05/18) November 05, 2018 Brian Bowers, contributor “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used to create them” —Albert Einstein Last week we began exploration of the definition of precision railroading and how the industry is attempting to apply it. It is encouraging to see longstanding practices and processes being questioned.…
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