U.S. National Mediation Board Records Regarding Eastern, Western, and Southeastern Carriers' Conference Committee and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

On March 5, 1960 the Carriers and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers signed an Arbitration Agreement to submit a controversy over wages to a six man arbitration board consisting of Archibald Cox, Richard A. Lester, Roy E. Davidson, D. S. Beattle, G. W. Knight, and J. E. Wolfe. The agreement specified the following questions were all that the Board was to decide.

1. Shall all or any part of the request of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, dated March 2, 1959 be granted?

2. Shall all or any part of the proposal of the carriers served on or about March 20, 1959 be granted?

The termination of the national wage agreement signed in 1957 prompted the Engineers to request a 12 per cent increase in basic daily rates for locomotive engineers together with arbitraries, miscellaneous rates, etc., and the incorporation into the basic rates of the accumulated cost-of living allowances. The carriers countered with a proposal for a 15 cent across the board wage reduction and elimination of the cost of living escalation clause.

Unable to reach an agreement, the National Mediation Board was appealed to on September 24, 1959 under the procedures of the Railway Labor Act. Mediation was not successful, but the National Mediation Board persuaded the parties to submit the wage issue to binding arbitration. All other issues were referred to the Presidential Study Commission.