Employees of the Nation’s Class 1 Railroads have the most unique top to bottom benefits program in the Nation. When injury or illness strikes, health insurance coverage is extended for nearly three years for the employee and two for dependents and there is no contributory amount required each month during this period if he submits a proof of disability form. 

That is just the beginning of over 100 variables of options, eligibilities and special benefits for the employee and dependents found in the total package that the typical railroad employee pays little attention to, until needed.

The Insurance coverage has at least four different providers, UHC, AETNA, High Mark and union contract life insurance for both active and retired employees is handled by MetLife and all are subject to collective bargaining by a negotiating team representing all 17 Rail Labor Unions. Unlike other industries that provide their new employees one Handbook that has it all indexed (which the railroads do for insurance), for class 1 Railroad Employees, three important benefits are under the jurisdiction of Congress such as the Railroad Retirement Act, administered by the Railroad Retirement Board although no taxpayer dollars fund the retirement program with the exception of the carriers who do fund the sickness and unemployment benefits.

Benefits that are overseen by Congress have three main categories but each category has dozens of very beneficial provisions and eligibility requirements making it all difficult to index into in any information booklet that covers it all as we are attempting to do in one conversation on our Steel & Moss website. However, with the Railroad Employees National Health & Welfare Agreement briefly discussed above and a lot of details throughout the Steel & Moss Website, the three remaining categories of the four, provided by both union agreements and legislated by Congress that we think, sets the railroad employee’s benefits apart from other industries are: