APTA Urges Passage of REEF Act

APTA sent a letter to House and Senate leaders, May 9, to express support for S. 1274, the Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act (REEF Act), and to urge its swift passage.

In the letter, APTA noted that commuter and intercity passenger railroad workers, as well as their freight rail counterparts, play a vital role in boosting the U.S. economy and ensuring the safety of travelers. Railroad workers remain the only workforce that has its unemployment and sickness benefits diminished by sequestration cuts.

These cuts have had a major impact on workers and their families, APTA stated in the letter. Congress temporarily eliminated this unnecessary hardship during the pandemic. However, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expired May 11, 2023, and sequestration cuts have resumed.

It is APTA’s opinion that the bipartisan REEF Act offers a direct solution to permanently fix this issue for railroad workers and urges Congress to ensure railroad workers receive their full benefits by passage of the legislation.