(The National Mediation Board issued the following on November 1.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Mediation Board (NMB) confirms that, pursuant to the Railway Labor Act, AMTRAK and the eight unions noted below were released by the National Mediation Board from statutory Mediation on October 31, 2007, and a 30-day cooling-off period commenced on November 1, 2007. Absent agreements or the establishment of a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), the parties could exercise Self Help as of 12:01 a.m. on December 1, 2007.
In an effort to assist the parties further in reaching agreements, the NMB has scheduled public interest meetings commencing November 5, 2007.
The eight unions include the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way (BMWE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), Joint Council of Carmen (JCC), American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), National Conference of Fireman and Oilers (NCFO), the International Association of Machinists (IAM), and the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU).