GIA Dialogue

United We Stand

GIA members unite for passage of Railroad Retirement legislation

By Mabel Grotzinger, International Vice-President, GIA to BLE

The GIA made significant contribution to the passage of the Railroad Retirement and Survivors' Improvement Act of 2001.

The passage and signing of the Railroad Retirement reform legislation was a great victory. However, the GIA's participation in the coalition is sometimes overlooked.

We would like to thank the Rail Labor Coalition for allowing us the opportunity to assist them in the effort, and all of our members for their hard work in keeping the pressure on the members of Congress, which resulted in the overwhelming vote in favor of the bill by both the House and Senate. Without the persistence of our membership and the Coalition, chances are the bill would not have passed in this session of Congress.

The GIA International officers were on the front lines of this fight for widows' benefit improvements. International 1st Vice President/National Legislative Representative Becky Schneider worked hand-in-hand with the Coalition. She walked the halls of Congress and lobbied hard. I worked with the mobilization team to keep up the pressure by making the phones ring. We did so much that many Congressional staff members asked us to quit - they got the message.

Our members, the grassroots of our organization, also contributed. Pat Murphy of Buffalo, N.Y. approached Representative Jack Quinn (R-N.Y.) while in his district with the thought that something had to be done about the widow's benefit. When Rep. Quinn was able to get to the leadership level in the House, he introduced House Concurrent Resolution 52, which made the parties come together and lay the groundwork for the law that was finally passed in 2001.

While this Resolution was still before the House, Rep. Quinn called for a hearing to collect the facts and encourage the parties to come together. At that hearing, Julie Carter, from Homewood, Ala., traveled to D.C. to testify at the hearing. She eloquently spoke on the hardships facing many railroad widows.

In November of 2001, two more ladies made a contribution. Dolly Urich of Harrisburg, Pa., and Mary Lou Vaught of Danville, Ky., traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend a news conference sponsored by the American Association of Railroads (AAR). They spoke about the hardships of being a widow under the Railroad Retirement system.

Mrs. Vaught was the wife of a General Chairman for the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and was the subject of a poster that was used by the coalition to let the Congress understand that the widows had a face and a name. The GIA thanks these members for the contribution. This is an example of what a chorus of voices can do when joined together with others - true change can be made.

We also thank all those whom acted when they got the calls from our Mobilization coordinators by making repeated calls and writing letters. While it may seem that it took a long time to get this bill passed, in reality, it passed in a relatively short period of time.

Things do not move through Congress with any speed. It is thanks to the cooperation of the Rail Labor Coalition and the grassroots involvement that made this hard fought battle into a victory. Yes, this was a victory we can be proud of. This is only a hint of what the GIA can do.

There is much more that needs to be done. Still there is no definitive rail safety bill, after many years and many bills we still do not have a law. Fatigue is still a large problem on the nation's railroads; it only gets attention when the National Transportation Safety Board puts added pressure on the railroads.

The extremes in locomotive cab temperature continue to wreak havoc on our spouses, not to mention the effects of diesel fumes. The list is long and many of these problems will take a long time to correct, but the GIA is determined to bring these issues to the attention of the Congress and the general public.

What effects the BLE member effects the BLE spouse and family, either directly or indirectly. This was true when our organization was founded in 1887 and is still true today. That is why the GIA stands beside the BLE whenever and wherever we can.

Membership in the GIA offers many opportunities to let the voices of the families of BLE members be heard. Members can write or call their Senators or Representatives when issues come before Congress. Our members can also let our voices be joined with others to protest unfair or unsafe working conditions.

We offer all family members educational opportunities at all of the regional meetings. These meetings are not closed and anyone, including BLE members, who wish to attend our meetings are always welcome.

Think about joining us this summer at a regional meeting. Come in and see what we have to offer.

Back to Spring 2002 Journal

© 2002 Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers