Union chiefs urge passage
of pension reform measure

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Your retirement future is now in your hands.

As a major coalition of 11 rail unions and rail retiree organizations, representing more than three million members, we are now asking for your help to enact the best improvements to Railroad Retirement in a generation. We need your help right now. We need to do it this year. We now have a bill before Congress. While the draft bill does not yet have a number, it does have a title. The bill is called the "Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000" and it is now in the "discussion draft" stage. It has been received favorably by key members of Congress and is being reviewed by others. The bill has many more steps to go through in Congress before it becomes law, and now it's your turn to become actively involved in the process.

In order to be successful, we hope you will take immediate action this and every other time you are asked. Right now we need you to contact your congressperson and your senators to support and co-sponsor the "Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000." Please visit them, write them, call them, fax them and e-mail them. The success of this legislation, and the future significant improvements to your Railroad Retirement, rests with you, the active and retired railroad workers, your families and friends. When it becomes law, the legislation will:

-- Increase benefits for surviving spouses of retired workers by stopping the bereaved from losing 50% of their Tier II annuity.

-- Restore unreduced retirement benefits at age 60 with 30 years service.

-- Expand the retiree health insurance plan to age 60 with increases in the lifetime benefit maximum indexed to the medical inflation rate.

-- Allow for the Tier II system to invest in equities and thereby achieve a higher rate of return on investments. This would make both benefit increases for employees and retirees and tax decreases for the carriers possible.

-- Guarantee that the railroads will ensure future solvency of the fund by absorbing any necessary future tax increases.

-- Reduce vesting from ten to five years.

-- Repeal the retirement benefit cap for current and future retirees alike.

We urge you to ask your congressional delegation to prepare to support and co-sponsor the "Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2000" that would put these provisions into effect through law. Addresses for your congressional delegation can be found in many local phone books under "Government Offices."

Take charge of your future, and work with us to make Railroad Retirement the best it can be for you and your family. We need to do this now; we need to do it for each other. Step up and take action together -- for our futures!

Sincerely and fraternally yours,

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