Opinion ID: 301368
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the purpose of the railway labor act

Text: 12 Although American railroads no longer totally dominate this country's freight and passenger transportation industry as they did in 1926 when the Railway Labor Act was passed, they remain the backbone of much of our interstate transportation system. The primary purpose of that legislation 10 was to insure that there would be no interruption of this vital link in our nation's commerce. The Act was designed to provide a machinery to prevent strikes, Texas & N. O. R. Co. v. Brotherhood of Railway Steamship Clerks, 281 U.S. 548, 565, 50 S.Ct. 427, 432, 74 L.Ed. 1034 (1930), and set up an elaborate scheme of negotiation, mediation, voluntary arbitration and conciliation to handle major disputes 11 so that the parties could attempt to work out a settlement of their differences without resorting to destructive lock-outs or strikes that would cripple the economy and cause loss of work, goods and services to millions of people. Detroit & Toledo Shore Line R. Co. v. United Transportation Union, supra, 396 U.S. at 148-149, 90 S.Ct. 294; Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen v. Jacksonville Terminal Co., 394 U.S. 369, 381, 89 S.Ct. 1109, 22 L.Ed.2d 344 (1969); Elgin, J. & E. R. Co. v. Burley, 325 U.S. 711, 721-731, 65 S.Ct. 1282, 89 L.Ed. 1886 (1945). 13 While disputes are not to be talked to death, they are at least intended to be drawn out so that tempers can cool and reason prevail. Detroit & Toledo Shore Line R. Co. v. United Transportation Union, supra, 396 U.S. at 149, 90 S.Ct. 294; Brotherhood of Railway Clerks etc. v. Florida East Coast R. Co., 384 U.S. 238, 246, 86 S.Ct. 1420, 16 L.Ed.2d 501 (1966). In the time taken to work through the various steps, an appropriate climate can be developed for rational bargaining and public opinion can be mobilized in favor of a settlement without a strike or lockout. Detroit & Toledo Shore Line R. Co. v. United Transportation Union, supra, 396 U.S. at 150, 90 S.Ct. at 299. 14 As pointed out in the Detroit and Toledo Shore Line case, supra, at 150, 90 S.Ct. 294, if the railroads and their workers are going to be able to resolve their differences peacefully, neither side must resort to self-help. The pay, rules and working conditions that prevail when the Section 6 notice is filed must be maintained and neither side may attempt to use unilateral action to gain what it wants. If the status quo is not rigidly enforced, the statute becomes worthless.