WASHINGTON -- Significant Amtrak employee layoffs could be the result if the House Appropriations Committee's plan to slash Amtrak funding by $152 million this year becomes law.
All rail workers could suffer, as significant Amtrak employee cuts would endanger the solvency of Railroad Retirement's Tier II account.
If the Appropriations Committee's plan isn't bad enough, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) have offered amendments that would effectively shutdown Amtrak, threatening almost 20,000 Amtrak jobs, which account for 9 percent of the total U.S. active rail work force.
That would surely create a crisis for Railroad Retirement's Tier II, which is funded entirely by rail workers and their employers.
It is imperative that UTU members and retirees call their member of Congress immediately and indicate the importance to America of Amtrak, our national intercity rail passenger network, and the crisis to Railroad Retirement that would result were Amtrak's budget eliminated.
You may do one of the following:
* Call, toll-free, the House switchboard at 877-668-3864 or 877-668-3866 and leave a message for your member of Congress.
* Click on the following link, and then type in your address and zip code to receive the name and direct office phone number of your member of Congress:
