Earlier today, 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 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 (D-Wash.) to draft Amendment 2316, which 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.
Despite this strong show of support, Amendment 2316 was not considered during debate. Out of the 642 amendments submitted, only 43 were brought to the floor, and ours was not one of them.
Standing Firm in the Fight for Fairness
“This isn’t over,” said SMART-TD National Legislative Director Jared Cassity. “If the rest of the blue-collar workforce gets relief on overtime taxes, so should rail workers. Our jobs are no less demanding, and we should be treated with equal respect.”
Cassity has already begun the process of turning the proposed amendment into a stand-alone bill. Although collaboration with other rail unions is still in progress, efforts are underway to identify a member of Congress willing to sponsor the bill.
“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,” Cassity continued. “But we’re not walking away from this. We’ll keep pushing until our voices are heard.”
What Comes Next
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 days ahead. The next round starts now.
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