The Railway Labor Act requires covered U.S. airlines and railroads to negotiate labor disputes through a specialized federal process.
Congress enacted the Railway Labor Act in 1926. It was designed to prevent interruptions to transportation by encouraging collective bargaining, requiring mediation, and establishing procedures for disputes over contracts and working conditions. The law applies to employees of railroads and airlines, making it different from the National Labor Relations Act, which covers most other private-sector workplaces.
The National Mediation Board administers major parts of the act for rail and airline labor relations. The law distinguishes between disputes about changing an existing agreement and disputes about interpreting one. Certain disputes can be handled by arbitration or adjudication, while mediation may delay strikes during negotiations. Although its name refers to railways, its airline coverage has made it an important part of modern transportation labor law.