The impact of the language is to shift 25 percent of the cost of arbitration of railroad grievances under section 3 of the Railway Labor Act, formerly paid by the Government, to the parties using the services. Since major changes in our operating procedures will be necessary when enacted, the parties were made aware of the change in our appropriation language and we requested them to furnish any suggestions that they may have regarding the implementation of the cost sharing. In addition, a meeting with the parties was held on March 10, 1975 in the National Mediation Board offices in Washington, D.C. As of this date no suggestions for implementation have been received from the parties. Based upon the $898,000 we are requesting in our 1976 budget to cover the 75 percent of the cost of arbitration of railroad grievances authorized under section 3 of the act, the remaining 25 percent to be paid by the parties would be $300,000. This would provide a total of $1,198,000 for this activity. Assuming that the parties will share the costs equally, the carriers would pay $150,000 and the labor organizations would pay $150,000. Rather than dealing with individual railroads and labor organizations, we would breakdown the $300,000 and request the National Railway Labor Conference-for the carriers-the Railway Labor Executives Association-for the participating organizations-and others to pay their respective share before the start of the fiscal year. We intend to furnish to the parties involved quarterly reports by carriers and labor organizations so that proper assessment could be made by the NRLC and RLEA to their respective members. The rationale, of course, is that this is a unique service provided in no other industries but the railroad industry today, including the airlines. This would be a method of having the parties pay part of the cost. Mr. PATTEN. Really, you are rewriting the law here. Mr. IVES. That is correct, sir. Mr. PATTEN. If the committee decides to turn down this language request, what would happen? Mr. IVES. Two things would be needed, to restore the status quo. The elimination of that specific language, and a $300,000 additional appropriation for section 3-purposes of the act. Mr. PATTEN. Did you see the letter from Chairman Staggers? Mr. Ives. No; I have not. Mr. PATTEN. He obviously doesn't like the language. Mr. IVES. When we had this meeting I presided over it, March 10, the reaction of the parties was quite vocal; particularly one of the parties. APPOINTMENT OF RAILROAD EMERGENCY BOARD Mr. PATTEN. I read in the paper that the President recently appointed an emergency board in the railroad dispute. Can you tell us more about that? Mr. IVES. That particular dispute is a dispute between the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks, BRAC, to be precise, and the NLRC, or rather the carriers represented by them. We reached an impasse in negotiations and there would have been a national strike had we not recommended to the President, under section 10 of the Railway Labor Act, the Emergency Board which is now sitting. It has completed most of the hearings. However, they haven't yet issued a report and recommendations. AIRLINES INDUSTRY Mr. PATTEN. What is the current status of affairs in the airline industry? What kind of a year do you look forward to? Mr. IVES. We look forward to a very busy year. We have six key cases pending at the moment. However, there are a lot of other cases. By "key" I mean they are major disputes-one is on a countdown which means the organization will be free to strike on May 6 unless settled and that is a dispute between the airline flight attendants and Western Airlines. There are five other disputes which are not on a countdown but which will complete this round among the major air carriers. We anticipate a number of cases involving the machinists during the next. year. Their agreements are all open for amendment from June through November. As you know, air carriers, bargain on an individual basis as opposed to nationally. We have a great deal of the representation work in the airline industry, representation cases. LIST OF PERMANENT POSITIONS Mr. PATTEN. Will you provide for the record a schedule of permanent positions for the Board? Mr. IVES. Yes, I will be very happy to. Mr. PATTEN. You have increased it, have you not? Mr. IVES. No; we have decreased it. Excuse me. I stand corrected. It is unchanged. [The information follows:] Mr. PATTEN. How much money is in your budget for payment of the standard level user charges to the GSA? How does that compare with fiscal year 1975? Is GSA like all other landlords; do they raise your rent every year? Mr. Ives. It is a new item. It is an increase of $17,000. TRAVEL COSTS Mr. PATTEN. With regard to your travel costs at page 12 of the justifications, you say total travel days is increasing from 2,574 in 1974 to 2,890 in 1976. What accounts for that increase? Mr. Ives. It is merely our anticipation of increased workload, particularly again in the airline area where, as I say, they bargain by individual carriers opposed to the railroads where they bargain nationally. During the last year we brought more than the ordinary number of cases to Washington so we have had a falloff in our costs. Mr. PATTEN. How do you compute your travel costs? Do you just pick a number out of the air? Mr. Ives. It is based on previous experience, anticipated disputes during a particular year. Mr. PATTEN. I have no further questions. What about the gentleman from California, Mr. Roybal? Mr. ROYBAL. I am prompted to ask the following question. It is my understanding, first of all, that Governor Brown is advocating that all officials in the State of California no longer fly first class; that they all fly coach. What is your policy? Mr. IVES. We normally fly coach. Mr. ROYBAL. It is also my further understanding there is a great deal of criticism about the fact that most people in the Federal Government do use first class facilities when they travel. Mr. IVES. We have used both as board members, but the staff has always used coach. PERSONNEL LEVEL Mr. ROYBAL. Examining the justifications, I have been trying to determine how many employees you have altogether. Mr. IVES. We have 74 actual full-time employees. Our figures reflect so-called part-time employees, and they are basically referees who are paid by the Federal Government to settle railroad disputes which was the subject of earlier interrogation by the chairman. We carry them as part-time employees. Mr. ROYBAL. Can you give me a breakdown of full-time and parttime employees? Mr. IVES. There are presently 74 full-time employees. These are 74 full-time and 31 WAE or part-time. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION Mr. ROYBAL. Do you have a so-called affirmative action plan? Mr. IVES. Yes; we do. Mr. ROYBAL. Can you give me a breakdown on that, the composition of your staff? Mr. Ives. Will do. [The information follows:] Total employment as of April 30, 1975_. Minority group 1, Negro‒‒‒‒. 71 Mr. ROYBAL. I will particularly be interested in knowing how many Spanish surnamed employees you have. I don't consider an affirmative action plan to be in operation until such time that all minorities are given the same opportunity and that one ethnic minority is not favored over another. It seems to me it is more or less the policy of the Government at the moment to favor one minority over another and wherever a condition such as that exists, then the affirmative action program is not being adhered to. Mr. IVES. Speaking for myself, sir, my philosophy is very much like my father's, who served in the Senate a number of years ago. I fully believe in equal opportunity for all groups in our society. Mr. ROYBAL. Thank you. That is all, Mr. Chairman. Mr. PATTEN. Thank you, gentlemen. Justification of the Budget Estimates NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD Federal Funds General and special funds: Salaries and Expenses For expenses necessary for carrying out the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended (45 U.S.c. 151-188), including emergency boards appointed by the President $3,186,0007$3,105,000: Provided, that this appropriation shall not be available to pay in excess of 75 per centum of the costs of the arbitration of railroad grievances authorized under Section 3 of the Act. (45 U.S.C. 154; Departments of Labor and Health, Education, and Welfare Appropriation Act, 1975.) NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD DIGEST OF ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION, 1976 FUNCTION OF THE BOARD The National Mediation Board administers the Railway Labor Act governing labor relations in the railroad and airline industries. The general purposes of the Act are as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. To avoid any interruption to commerce or to the To forbid any limitation upon freedom of association among employees or any denial, as a condition of employment or otherwise, of the right of employees to join a labor organization; To provide for the complete independence of carriers and of employees in the matter of self-organization; To provide for the prompt and orderly settlement of all disputes concerning rates of pay, rules, or working conditions; To provide for the prompt and orderly settlement of These general purposes are implemented through the activities of the National Mediation Board, Arbitration and Emergency Boards, and the National Railroad Adjustment Board. |