These definitions are provided for general understanding only. They do not provide definitive definition regarding any matter before the Board and are not to be construed as legal definitions that may be cited in any administrative, legal or arbitral proceeding.
Glossary
Act The Railway Labor Act
Agency The National Mediation Board
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) ADR is a process for resolving disputes outside of the judicial system of law. In the venue of the NMB, ADR is the facilitation of interest-based or mutual-interest negotiations and grievance mediation.
Amendable Contract Under the Railway Labor Act, collective bargaining agreements become subject-to-change on a specified date, rather than expiring as agreements do under the National Labor Relations Act.
Annual Report NMB’s Annual Performance and Accountability Report
Arbitration A type of dispute resolution process where an arbitrator renders a decision, which usually can be appealed judicially only on a very narrow basis such as fraud
Arbitration Forum A committee formed of officials of railroads, rail unions, arbitrators and the NMB for the purpose of improving the processing of railroad employee grievances
Board May be one of the following, depending upon the context in which it appears:
National Mediation Board (NMB)
Presidential Emergency Board (PEB
National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB)
Special Board of Adjustment (SBA)
Public Law Board (PLB)
System Board of Adjustment (SBA)
Carrier An airline or railroad as defined by sections 151 and 181 of the Railway Labor Act.
CFO Act Chief Financial Officer’s Act
Class I A category of the largest U.S. railroads as defined by the Surface Transportation Board
Collective Bargaining Agreement A labor contract between a union and a carrier
Cooling Off Period A 30-day period of time preceding the right of parties to a collection bargaining dispute to engage in “self help” under the RLA
Craft or Class A group of employees deemed by the NMB to share a community of work and interest for the purpose of collective bargaining under the RLA
Direct Negotiations Negotiations between the parties to a collective bargaining dispute before or apart from NMB mediation
Dunlop II Committee An independent review committee comprised of carrier and union experts formed at the request of the NMB in FY 2009 to examine the internal functions, policies and procedures of the agency and the progress of the agency subsequent to the recommendations of the Dunlop Commission of the 1990s.
E-book A book available via the Internet such as NMB’s Annual Performance and Accountability Report
E-business The conduct of business on the Internet
E-filling An electronic method for submitting documents
Facilitation A process where a neutral helps the parties in a collective bargaining or grievance dispute use ADR problem-solving methods such as interest-based bargaining or grievance mediation
Facilitated Problem Solving This approach to bargaining utilizes a process of problem identification and discussion to reach resolution of issues rather than an exchange of proposals.
Grievances Complaints of employees or unions arising out of the application or interpretation of collective bargaining agreements
Grievance Arbitration A method of resolving grievances whereby an arbitrator determines the outcome
Grievance Mediation In the venue of the NMB, using mediation as an alternative to arbitration for resolving grievances
Impasse In mediation under the RLA, an impasse is when the NMB determines that further mediation will not resolve a collective bargaining dispute.
Interest Arbitration A process, under the RLA, to establish the terms of a new or modified collective bargaining agreement through arbitration, rather than through negotiations.
Interest Based Negotiation A type of negotiations where the parties collaboratively focus on finding solutions to underlying needs or concerns of each party (i.e., the whys) instead of adversatively negotiating specific positions
Internet Voting A web-based balloting option that supplements telephone electronic voting in representation elections
Laboratory Conditions Conditions to a representation dispute which ensure the independence of labor and management for the purpose of self-organization and the right of employees to freely determine whether they wish to be represented, or not, for the purpose of collective bargaining
Legacy Carriers A term applied to traditional major, hub-based airlines versus regional or point-to-point carriers
Major Disputes Disputes between management and a union pertaining to collective bargaining as opposed to grievance disputes known as Minor Disputes
Mediation A type of dispute resolution process where a neutral (i.e., a mediator) facilitates agreement between the parties to a collective bargaining dispute, vis-a-vis imposing a settlement on the parties via arbitration
Minor Disputes Grievances of employees or unions arising out of the application or interpretation of collective bargaining agreements as opposed to collective bargaining disputes known as Major Disputes
National Handling Mediation of a collective bargaining dispute where management of several railroads have chosen to negotiate collectively on a national basis
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) Grants most private sector workers the right to organize and bargain collectively. Air and rail employees, however, are covered by the Railway Labor Act (RLA) rather than the NLRA.
National Railroad Adjustment Board One of three types of tribunals under the RLA for resolving railroad grievances (also see Special Boards of Adjustment and Public Law Boards). NRAB cases are resolved by the carrier and union members with or without a neutral.
NMB Lyceum The NMB’s open-resource, distance-learning website established to provide NMB staff, labor relations practitioners and the public with training programs relevant to the National Mediation Board and the Railway Labor Act.
Ombudsman An official of the NMB that receives and addresses problems or complaints of employees or contractors regarding actions of agency managers or staff
Online Arbitration An Arbitration forum and a form of Online Dispute Resolution where hearings are held in virtual, web-based meeting rooms with live video
Online Dispute Resolution The application of Internet or web-based technology to resolving disputes
Open Government Directive President Obama’s Directive of December 8, 2009, requiring Federal executive departments and agencies to take specific actions to implement the principles of Transparency, Participation, and Collaboration.
Presidential Emergency Board A Board established under the Railway Labor Act by the U.S. President to investigate and report on an airline or railroad labor dispute
Proffer of Arbitration The step in the process of resolving collective bargaining disputes under the RLA, which follows a determination of impasse by the NMB, whereby the NMB offers binding arbitration to the parties as a method for resolving the dispute
Public Interest Meetings Under the RLA, the NMB can intervene in an active collective bargaining dispute at any time in the interest of the general public. Usually, one or both parties to a dispute requests the mediation services of the NMB.
Public Law Boards (PLB) One of three types of tribunals under the RLA for resolving railroad grievances (also see National Railroad Adjustment Board and Special Boards of Adjustment)
Railway Labor Act (RLA) A federal law that grants interstate airline and railroad employees the right to organize and bargain collectively. Other private industry employees are covered by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Representation Dispute A situation on an airline or railroad where employees in a specific, carrier-wide workgroup seek to organize for the purpose of collectively bargaining with their employer regarding matters of wages, benefits and working conditions
Section 3 Section 153 of the RLA pertaining to the National Railroad Adjustment Board
Section 3 Committee A group of representatives from freight, regional and commuter railroads and representatives of major rail unions, whose goal is the improvement of resolution of grievances
Section 6 Section 156 of the RLA pertaining to the changing of wages, rules, hours and working conditions
Section 7 Section 157 of the RLA pertaining to Arbitration
Section 9a Section 159A of the RLA pertaining to Presidential Emergency Boards for certain publicly-funded and operated commuter railroads
Section 10 Section 160 of the RLA pertaining to Presidential Emergency Boards for airlines and railroads other than those covered by Section 9a
Self Help The right of a party to a collective bargaining dispute to unilaterally act in its own best interest. A carrier, for example, may lock disputing employees out of the workplace or implement changes in pay, rules and working conditions; and the union, for example, may work specifically as required by its collective bargaining agreement or strike
Showing-of-Interest In a representation dispute, employees in a Craft or Class must indicate an interest in being represented for the purpose of collective bargaining by signing authorization cards which are submitted to the NMB by the representative/s of their choosing.
Special Boards of Adjustment (SBA) One of three types of tribunals under the RLA for resolving railroad grievances (also see National Railroad Adjustment Board and Public Law Boards)
Status Quo Situations under the RLA in either collective bargaining or representation disputes where existing pay rates, rules and working conditions cannot be changed unilaterally, pending the resolution of the dispute in question.
Strike A work stoppage action initiated by a union
System Boards of Adjustment (SBA) An arbitration board pursuant to an agreement by the parties for resolving airline grievances.
System-wide Under the RLA, a craft or class applies anywhere an airline or railroad operates in the United States
Telephone Electronic Voting (TEV) A paperless balloting process using telephones instead of traditional paper ballots
Work Stoppage An interruption to the operations of an airline or railroad
Acronyms
AA
American Airlines
ABA
American Bar Association
ABX
Airborne Express
A-case
An NMB designation for a Mediation case
ACR
Association for Conflict Resolution
ADR
Alternative Dispute Resolution
ADRS
Alternative Dispute Resolution Services
AE
Airborne Express
AFA
Association of Flight Attendants
AFGE
American Federation of Government Employees
AFL-CIO
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFSCME
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
AIRCON
Airline Industrial Relations Conference
ALI-ABA
American Law Institute-American Bar Association
ALPA
Air Line Pilots Association
ALRA
Association of Labor Relations Agencies
AMTRAK
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC)
APA
Allied Pilots Association
ARASA
America Railway and Airway Supervisors Association
ARB
Arbitration
ATDA
American Train Dispatchers Association
ATDD
American Train Dispatchers Department (BLET)
AWS
Alternative Work Schedule
BCW
Brotherhood of Communication Workers
BLET
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
BMWE
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes
BMWED
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division
BNSF
Burlington Northern and Sante Fe
BRC
Brotherhood of Railway Carmen
BRS
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
CA
Confidential Assistant
CBA
Collective Bargaining Agreement
CFO
Chief Financial Officer
CIO
Chief Information Officer
CLE
Continuing Legal Education
CMI
Continental Micronesia
COOP
Continuity of Operations Plan
COS
Chief of Staff
CR
Conrail
CRL
Chicago Rail Link
CSRS
Civil Service Retirement System
CSX/CSXT
CSX Transportation, Inc.
CWA
Communication Workers of America
DC
District of Columbia
DQ&E
De Queen & Eastern Railroad
EFT
Electronic Funds Transfer
EO
Executive Order
F-case
An ADR designation for Facilitation cases (F and F-ODR)
F&O
Firemen & Oilers
FAA
Federal Aviation Association
FAPA
Frontier Airline Pilots Association
FAR
Federal Acquisition Regulation
FERS
Federal Employment Management System
FFMIA
Federal Financial Management Improvement Act
FISMA
Federal Information Security Management Act
FLRA
Federal Labor Relations Authority
FMFIA
Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act of 1982
FOIA
Freedom of Information Act
FPS
Facilitative Problem Solving
FUI
Findings Upon Investigation
FY
Fiscal Year
GAAP
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GAO
Government Accountability Office
GC
General Counsel
GLOWS
Accounting System Used by NMB
GM
Grievance Mediation
GM-case
An ADR designation for Grievance Mediation cases (GM and GM-ODR)
GPRA
Government Performance and Results Act
GSA
General Services Administration
GWR
Great Western Railway of Colorado
HERE
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union
IAM
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers
IAMAW
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers
IBB
Interest Based Bargaining
IBB
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
IBEW
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
IBT
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
ICT
Information and Communication Technology
IFPTE
International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers
IHB
Indiana Harbor Belt
IT
Information Technology
JCC
Joint Council of Carmen
JD
Juris Doctor (Doctor of Law)
MBCR
Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad
MD
Maryland
MI
Michigan
MWA
Midwest Airlines
NA
Not Applicable
NARA
National Archives and Records Administration
NARR
National Association of Railroad Referees [arbitrators]
NCFO
National Conference of Firemen and Oilers
NJASAP
NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots
NJT
New Jersey Transit
NLRA
National Labor Relations Act
NLRB
National Labor Relations Board
NMB
National Mediation Board
NRAB
National Railroad Adjustment Board
NRLC
National Railway Labor Conference
NRPC
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK)
NS
Norfolk Southern
NTSA
National Transportation Supervisors Association
OA
Office of Administration
OAS
Office of Arbitration Services
ODR
Online Dispute Resolution
OLA
Office of Legal Affairs
OMAS
Office of Mediation and ADR Services
OMB
Office of Management and Budget
OP
Outreach and Promotion
OP-case
An ADR designation for Outreach OP and OP-ODR cases
OPEIU
Office and Professional Employees International Union
OPM
Office of Personnel Management
OVC
Online Video Conferencing
PAFCA
Professional Airline Flight Control Association
PAR
Pan Am Railways
PEB
Presidential Emergency Board
PGR
Progressive Rail
PLB
Public Law Board
POA&M
Plans of Action and Milestones
PSA
PSA Airlines
PTRA
Port Terminal Railroad Association
R-case
An NMB designation for a Representation case
RA
Republic Airlines
RAH
Republic Airlines Holdings
RDM
Records and Document Management
RIM
Records and Information Management
RLA
Railway Labor Act
RLBC
Rail Labor Bargaining Coalition
RR
Railroad
SBA
Special Board of Adjustment or System Board of Adjustment
SFFAC
Statements of Federal Financial Accounting Concepts
SIU
Seafarers International Union of North America
SMWIA
Sheet Metal Workers International Union
SOP
Standard Operating Procedures
SSOBA
Special & Superior Officers Benevolent Association
SWA
Southwest Airlines
SWAPA
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
T-case
An ADR designation for Training cases (T and T-ODR)
