May 16, 1986
The President announced today the creation of Presidential Emergency Board No. 210 to investigate and make recommendations for settlement of a current dispute between the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and certain labor organizations representing its employees.
The LIRR is a vital link in the mass transportation system of the New York City metropolitan area. Every weekday the railroad carries approximately 280,000 passengers. Over 60 percent of the people who work in Manhattan and more than 20 percent who work in Brooklyn use its service. In addition, the LIRR interchanges traffic with the Consolidated Rail Corp., providing freight service to Suffolk and Nassau Counties. The LIRR employs approximately 7,200 persons, 6,800 of whom are covered by collective bargaining agreements.
The President, by Executive order, created the Emergency Board pursuant to an appropriate request as mandated by the Railway Labor Act. The emergency board procedures of the Railway Labor Act applicable to commuter railroads provide that the Board will report its findings and recommendations for settlement to the President within 30 days. The parties must then consider the recommendations of the Emergency Board and endeavor to resolve their differences without engaging in self-help during a subsequent 90-day period.