October 23, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD

Contact: NMB Public Information Line -- (202) 692-5050

Re: NMB Sets Arbitration Caseload Record

Washington, D.C. -- The National Mediation Board (NMB) is pleased to announce its grievance arbitration caseload figures for Fiscal Year 2009 which ended on September 30, 2009. During the fiscal year, the Office of Arbitration Services directed its attention to reducing the NMB’s backlog cases and increasing the number of cases resolved and closed during the fiscal year. During this past year, the NMB closed 7,073 cases which is the largest number of cases closed since fiscal year 2000. The Office of Arbitration Services reported that the NMB started the fiscal year with 6,212 cases. This past year, 4,920 new cases were added leaving the NMB with an end of the year figure of 4, 059 cases. This is the lowest number of pending cases in NMB history.

For the last two fiscal years, the NMB has received supplemental monies directed to reducing the backlog which is all cases pending at the NMB on September 30, 2007. The initial figure of backlog cases was 5,551 and the NMB has reduced that to 1,030 cases. At the end of Fiscal Year 2009, 75% of the NMB’s cases were two years old or younger.

Other efforts used by the NMB and the parties to facilitate grievance resolution in the railroad industry include the following:

• utilization of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Process: the NMB promoted Grievance Mediation as an alternative to arbitration;
  
  
• timely issuance of arbitration awards: the NMB continued its efforts to encourage arbitrators to issue awards within six months of hearing cases by posting a case status report on the agency’s website and by introducing new arbitrators into the NMB pool (Roster) of available arbitrators;
  
  
• promotion of e-government initiatives: the Agency improved its already successful program of using the NMB website as a source for many of the forms and documents needed by arbitrators and the parties thus reducing processing and response time; and
  
  
• institution of innovative case management systems: the NMB expanded a trial project in which arbitrators were paid on a per-case basis, instead of traditional per-day compensation, which encouraged faster turn-around times for grievance cases.
  
  

The NMB appreciates the efforts and cooperation of all the parties and the arbitrators in taking steps to improve the grievance handling process, addressing the grievance backlog, and making Fiscal Year 2009 a very successful one.

The NMB

The NMB is an independent federal agency, established by the 1934 amendments to the Railway Labor Act (RLA). The Agency's services and integrated dispute-resolution processes for labor-management relations enable the National Mediation Board to meet its statutory mandate to minimize work stoppages in the railroad and airline industries. These processes include Mediation, Arbitration, Representation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution programs. The Office of Arbitration Services is headed by Roland Watkins.

For additional information, contact the NMB Public Information Line at 202 692-5050.

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