CLEVELAND, July 31 — The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has announced a schedule of dates for the agency’s fall 2017 informational conferences and pre-retirement seminars.

Attendance at the informational conferences is limited to elected union officers only while the pre-retirement seminars are designed for railroad employees and spouses planning to retire within five years or less. Registration is required for both types of meetings.

INFORMATIONAL CONFERENCES

Informational conferences will be held in 10 locations across the country, beginning on September 15 and concluding on December 8.

Started 60 years ago by the RRB’s Office of the Labor Member, the conferences provide rail union officers with a comprehensive overview of the provisions and financing of the railroad retirement and unemployment insurance systems. These officials, in turn, pass on to their fellow rail labor membership the information acquired at the conferences.

Online registration is being offered for certain conferences. To go paperless and avoid having to mail or fax your registration form, please visit the RRB’s Informational Conference Program website.

Informational Conferences are open to union officials and their spouses by invitation only. Labor representatives who do not receive an invitation to a conference in their area should contact the RRB toll-free at (877) 772-5772 and request that they be added to the agency’s invitation database. Registration for each informational conference begins at 8:00 a.m., with the programs beginning promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 12:15 p.m.

Dates and locations of the RRB’s fall 2017 informational conferences are as follows:

September 15, Federal Building, Room 407
515 W. 1st St.
Duluth, MN 55802

September 15, Holiday Inn Roanoke
33115 Ordway Dr.
Roanoke, VA 24017

September 22, Courtyard Fort Worth University Drive
3150 Riverfront Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76107-6542

September 22, Hotel RL-Salt Lake City
161 West 600 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

September 28, Holiday Inn
215 Sunnyside Blvd.
Plainview, NY 11803

September 29, Embassy Suites Parsippany
909 Parsippany Blvd.
Parsippany, NJ 07054

October 20, Greater PA Regional Council of Carpenters Union Hall
650 Ridge Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15205

October 27, Sheet Metal Workers #19 Union Hall
1301 S. Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

December 8, Wyndham Garden New Orleans Airport
6401 Veteran’s Memorial Blvd.
Metairie, LA 70003

December 8, Embassy Suites-USF/Near Busch Gardens, Magnolia Room
3705 Spectrum Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33612

PRE-RETIREMENT SEMINARS

Designed for railroad employees and spouses planning to retire within five years or less, Pre-Retirement Seminars will familiarize attendees with the retirement benefits available to them, and also guide them through the application process. Sponsored by the Office of the Labor Member, the program began in 2014 on a pilot basis. Pre-Retirement Seminars are open to rank and file railroad employees. However, persons wishing to attend must register by submitting one of the registration forms available on the RRB website.

Seminar space is limited and registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Completed forms should be mailed or faxed to the RRB office listed on the form as soon as possible. Check-in for each seminar begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program starting at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 1:00 p.m.

Individuals who have not previously submitted documents required for filing a railroad retirement annuity application (such as proofs of age, marriage, or military service) are encouraged to bring this material to the seminar (original documents or certified copies required). Attendees should also bring along an additional copy of each item to leave with the RRB field personnel leading the seminars.

Those unable to attend the seminars but still seeking pre-retirement information should contact the RRB. Individual retirement counseling is available in person at an agency field office, or by phone by contacting the RRB toll-free at (877) 772-5772.

Dates and locations of the RRB’s fall 2017 pre-retirement seminars are as follows:

September 22, West Covina Library
1601 West Covina Parkway
West Covina, CA

September 28, Southwest Regional Library Community Room
9725 Dixie Highway
Louisville, KY

October 20, North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center
1st Floor-Classroom 4
7521 Carmel Avenue NE
Albuquerque, N.M.

October 20, Bondi Building
311 East Main Street, Basement Floor
Galesburg, IL

Monday, July 31, 2017