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Comment by akudha | Hacker News Reader

I am currently listening to this podcast called City of the rails. Couple of episodes talk about the power of these rail companies. How they treat their employees, how they have insane power over politicians etc.

Did you know these companies have their own police force, with practically zero accountability? They do whatever they please.

It is depressing, to put it mildly

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They even have their own retirement program separate from Social Security: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_Retirement_Board

Well it seems like they are better off than on social security

>At the end of fiscal year 2018, the average annuity paid to career rail employees was $3,525 per month, the average annuity paid for all retired rail employees was $2,815 per month, and the average retirement benefit under Social Security was $1,415 per month

From your link:

>Railroad workers formed an association to agitate for government action. The Department of Labor proposed its own plan in response, eventually compromising with the workers to produce the Railroad Retirement Act of 1934.

That's supposed to show the power of rail companies?

Perhaps not very advantageous power for the retirement benefits but I think it still shows the immense influence of the industry. I'm not aware of other private companies which are exempt from paying into Social Security and have an entire federal agency dedicated to managing their separate system.

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