National Mediation Board

• Pages: 478-479

NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD

Suite 250 East, 1301 K Street NW., Washington, DC 20572

Phone, 202-692-5000. Internet, www.nmb.gov.

Chairman Ernest W. Dubester

Members Francis J. Duggan, Magdalena G. Jacobsen

Chief of Staff Stephen E. Crable

Senior Mediators John Bavis, Larry Gibbons

General Counsel Ronald M. Etters

Senior Hearing Officers Mary Johnson, Benetta Mansfield, Sean Rogers

Director of Public Affairs James E. Armshaw

Senior Research Analyst Donald L. West

Director of Arbitration Services Roland Watkins

Chief Financial Officer/Administration Officer June D.W. King

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The National Mediation Board assists in maintaining a free flow of commerce in therailroadand airlineindustries by resolving labor-

management disputes that could disrupt travel or imperil the economy. The Board also handles railroad and airline employee representation disputes and provides administrative and financial support in adjusting grievances in the railroad industry.

The National Mediation Board was created on June 21, 1934, by an act amending the Railway Labor Act. (45 U.S.C. 151-158, 160-162, 1181-1188).

The Board's major responsibilities include preventing interruptions to interstate commerce in the airline and railroad industries; ensuring the right of employees to freely determine whether they wish to be represented for collective bargaining purposes; ensuring the independence of labor and management for self-organization to carry out the purposes of the Railway Labor Act; and providing for the prompt and orderly settlement of disputes in collective bargaining and over the interpretation of existing collective bargaining agreements.

Disputes arising out of grievances or interpretation or application of agreements concerning rates of pay,rules, or working conditions in the railroad industry are referable to the National Railroad Adjustment Board.This Board is divided into four divisions and consists of an equal number of representatives of the carriers and of national organizations of employees. In deadlocked cases the National Mediation Board is authorized to appoint a referee to sit with the members of the division for the purpose of making an award.

In the airline industry no national airline adjustment board has been established for settlement of grievances. Over the years the employee organizations and air carriers with established bargaining relationships have agreed to grievance...