§909 Supplementary Unemployment Insurance

Summary

Provides monthly extra unemployment pay to certain Milwaukee Railroad workers who lost their jobs because of the railroad’s restructuring. Workers qualify if they were employed by the restructured Milwaukee Railroad and were separated by a cut in service before April 1, 1984, or if they were separated during a restructuring, took a job with another rail carrier before April 1, 1981, and then lost that other job before April 1, 1984. Payments are made for months the worker is not employed by Milwaukee or another rail carrier, up to 36 months total but never more months than the worker served with Milwaukee. No payments past April 1, 1984 unless needed to give the worker at least 8 months of payments; after that date the 8-month minimum applies only if the worker is not continuously employed after April 1, 1984. Each monthly payment equals 80% of the worker’s average monthly normal pay from Milwaukee between June 1, 1977 and November 4, 1979, minus any Railroad or State unemployment benefits and minus any earnings that month. Workers must apply to the Board as it rules. These payments count as compensation for the Railroad Retirement Act and for base-year pay under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. No payments if the worker quit, retired, was fired for cause, failed to use seniority or contract rights, or is unemployed due to normal seasonal railroad work patterns. A furloughed worker is treated as separated.