07/03/2025
Yesterday the U.S. Senate passed H.R. 1, better known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", by a narrow 51-50 margin, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote. The bill now goes back to the U.S. House.
The legislation offers a tax exemption on overtime earnings, a move that benefits many American workers. However, despite advocacy and proposed fixes, the bill does not extend this benefit to employees covered by the Railway Labor Act, AKA railroaders.
Ahead of the vote, SMART-TD collaborated with Senator Maria Cantwell to draft Amendment 2316, which was introduced on June 30th (two days after the Bill was introduced in the Senate).
Amendment 2316 would have extended the overtime tax break to rail and aviation workers. In just 24 hours, more than 4,300 SMART-TD members took action, sending messages to their Senators urging support for the amendment. That response exemplifies the unity and strength of our membership.
This isn't over. If the rest of the blue-collar workforce gets relief on overtime taxes, so should rail workers. Our members sacrifice holidays, family time, and weekends to keep this country running. Excluding them from a policy aimed at easing the burden on working Americans is more than disheartening.
But we're not walking away from this. We have already begun the process of turning the proposed amendment into a stand-alone bill. Efforts are underway to identify a member of Congress willing to sponsor the bill.
SMART-TD will continue advocating for overtime tax fairness for rail workers and will work to build momentum for new legislation. The incredible response from members is a powerful reminder that this is worth fighting for. If you joined the effort yesterday, thank you. If you didn't, get ready, because we'll need you in the weeks and months ahead.
The next round starts today.
In solidarity,
Jared Cassity
National Safety and Legislative Director
SMART Transportation Division
