(a) Assistance received under employee protection agreement; waiver of other employee protection benefits; exception

Any employee who receives any assistance under an employee protection agreement entered into or benefit schedule prescribed under section 1005 of this title or any new career training assistance under section 1014 of this title shall be deemed to waive any employee protection benefits otherwise available to such employee under the Bankruptcy Act, subtitle IV of title 49 or any applicable contract or agreement (other than as provided in the agreement entered into in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 4, 1980, entitled “Labor Protective Agreement Between Railroads Parties Hereto Involved in Midwest Rail Restructuring and Employees of Such Railroads Represented by the Rail Labor Organizations Operating Through the Railway Labor Executives’ Association”).

(b) Filing of statement

Terms Used In 45 USC 1007

  • Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
  • Board: means the Railroad Retirement Board. See 45 USC 1002
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • employee: includes any employee of the Rock Island Railroad as of August 1, 1979, but does not include any individual serving as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, comptroller, counsel, member of the board of directors, or any other person performing such functions. See 45 USC 1002
  • Rock Island Railroad: means the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company, the estate of such Company in its reorganization proceeding, or the trustee appointed in such proceeding. See 45 USC 1002

Any employee of the Rock Island Railroad who is entitled to receive assistance under this chapter shall, no later than 120 days after the effective date of any agreement entered into under section 1005(a) of this title or of any benefit schedule prescribed under section 1005(b) of this title, as the case may be, file a statement with the Board indicating whether such employee elects to receive (1) assistance under this chapter; or (2) any employee protection benefits otherwise available to such employee under the Bankruptcy Act, subtitle IV of title 49, or any applicable contract or agreement.

(c) Effect on priority, timing, etc., of employee protection payments

With regard to any employee who elects benefits under subsection (b)(2) of this section, nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to determine or otherwise affect the priority, status, or timing of payment of, or the liability for any claim for, employee protection which might have existed in the absence of this chapter.

(d) Limitation on assistance eligibility

An employee shall not be eligible to receive any assistance (other than moving expenses) under an employee protection agreement entered into or benefit schedule prescribed under section 1005 of this title or any new career training assistance under section 1014 of this title—

(1) during any period in which such employee is employed by any rail carrier providing temporary service over any lines of the Rock Island Railroad; or

(2) at any time after the date such employee receives an offer of employment, in his craft and for which such employee is qualified, from a rail carrier acquiring lines of the Rock Island Railroad.