45 U.S.C. § 157

Arbitration

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First. Submission of controversy to arbitration

Whenever a controversy shall arise between a carrier or carriers and its or their employees which is not settled either in conference between representatives of the parties or by the appropriate adjustment board or through mediation, in the manner provided in sections 151—156 of this title such controversy may, by agreement of the parties to such controversy, be submitted to the arbitration of a board of three (or, if the parties to the controversy so stipulate, of six) persons: Provided, however, That the failure or refusal of either party to submit a controversy to arbitration shall not be construed as a violation of any legal obligation imposed upon such party by the terms of this chapter or otherwise.

Second. Manner of selecting board of arbitration

Such board of arbitration shall be chosen in the following manner:

(a) In the case of a board of three the carrier or carriers and the representatives of the employees, parties respectively to the agreement to arbitrate, shall each name one arbitrator; the two arbitrators thus chosen shall select a third arbitrator. If the arbitrators chosen by the parties shall fail to name the third arbitrator within five days after their first meeting, such third arbitrator shall be named by the Mediation Board.

(b) In the case of a board of six the carrier or carriers and the representatives of the employees, parties respectively to the agreement to arbitrate, shall each name two arbitrators; the four arbitrators thus chosen shall, by a majority vote, select the remaining two arbitrators. If the arbitrators chosen by the parties shall fail to name the two arbitrators within fifteen days after their first meeting, the said two arbitrators, or as many of them as have not been named, shall be named by the Mediation Board.

Third. Board of arbitration; organization; compensation; procedure

(a) Notice of selection or failure to select arbitrators

When the arbitrators selected by the respective parties have agreed upon the remaining arbitrator or arbitrators, they shall notify the Mediation Board; and, in the event of their failure to agree upon any or upon all of the necessary arbitrators within the period fixed by this chapter, they shall, at the expiration of such period, notify the Mediation Board of the arbitrators selected, if any, or of their failure to make or to complete such selection.

(b) Organization of board; procedure

The board of arbitration shall organize and select its own chairman and make all necessary rules for conducting its hearings: Provided, however, That the board of arbitration shall be bound to give the parties to the controversy a full and fair hearing, which shall include an opportunity to present evidence in support of their claims, and an opportunity to present their case in person, by counsel, or by other representative as they may respectively elect.

Upon notice from the Mediation Board that the parties, or either party, to an arbitration desire the reconvening of the board of arbitration (or a subcommittee of such board of arbitration appointed for such purpose pursuant to the agreement to arbitrate) to pass upon any controversy over the meaning or application of their award, the board, or its subcommittee, shall at once reconvene. No question other than, or in addition to, the questions relating to the meaning or application of the award, submitted by the party or parties in writing, shall be considered by the reconvened board of arbitration or its subcommittee.

Such rulings shall be acknowledged by such board or subcommittee thereof in the same manner, and filed in the same district court clerk’s office, as the original award and become a part thereof.

(d) Competency of arbitrators

No arbitrator, except those chosen by the Mediation Board, shall be incompetent to act as an arbitrator because of his interest in the controversy to be arbitrated, or because of his connection with or partiality to either of the parties to the arbitration.

(e) Compensation and expenses

Each member of any board of arbitration created under the provisions of this chapter named by either party to the arbitration shall be compensated by the party naming him. Each arbitrator selected by the arbitrators or named by the Mediation Board shall receive from the Mediation Board such compensation as the Mediation Board may fix, together with his necessary traveling expenses and expenses actually incurred for subsistence, while serving as an arbitrator.

(f) Award; disposition of original and copies

The board of arbitration shall furnish a certified copy of its award to the respective parties to the controversy, and shall transmit the original, together with the papers and proceedings and a transcript of the evidence taken at the hearings, certified under the hands of at least a majority of the arbitrators, to the clerk of the district court of the United States for the district wherein the controversy arose or the arbitration is entered into, to be filed in said clerk’s office as hereinafter provided. The said board shall also furnish a certified copy of its award, and the papers and proceedings, including testimony relating thereto, to the Mediation Board to be filed in its office; and in addition a certified copy of its award shall be filed in the office of the Interstate Commerce Commission: Provided, however, That such award shall not be construed to diminish or extinguish any of the powers or duties of the Interstate Commerce Commission, under subtitle IV of title 49.

(g) Compensation of assistants to board of arbitration; expenses; quarters

A board of arbitration may, subject to the approval of the Mediation Board, employ and fix the compensation of such assistants as it deems necessary in carrying on the arbitration proceedings. The compensation of such employees, together with their necessary traveling expenses and expenses actually incurred for subsistence, while so employed, and the necessary expenses of boards of arbitration, shall be paid by the Mediation Board.

Whenever practicable, the board shall be supplied with suitable quarters in any Federal building located at its place of meeting or at any place where the board may conduct its proceedings or deliberations.

(h) Testimony before board; oaths; attendance of witnesses; production of documents; subpoenas; fees

All testimony before said board shall be given under oath or affirmation, and any member of the board shall have the power to administer oaths or affirmations. The board of arbitration, or any member thereof, shall have the power to require the attendance of witnesses and the production of such books, papers, contracts, agreements, and documents as may be deemed by the board of arbitration material to a just determination of the matters submitted to its arbitration, and may for that purpose request the clerk of the district court of the United States for the district wherein said arbitration is being conducted to issue the necessary subpoenas, and upon such request the said clerk or his duly authorized deputy shall be, and he is, authorized, and it shall be his duty, to issue such subpoenas.

Any witness appearing before a board of arbitration shall receive the same fees and mileage as witnesses in courts of the United States, to be paid by the party securing the subpoena.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 88 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1933–2025 · leading case: Krakowski v. Am. Airlines, Inc. (In re Amr Corp.), 598 B.R. 365 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2019).

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Krakowski v. Am. Airlines, Inc. (In re Amr Corp.), 598 B.R. 365 (Bankr. S.D.N.Y. 2019). · cites it 2× “The LOA 12-05 arbitration here was an "interest" arbitration, conducted pursuant to the rules and procedures laid out in Section 7 of the RLA, 45 U.S.C. § 157 . See LOA 12-05 at 1 ("[T]he Company and APA will engage in final and binding interest arbitration pursuant to Section 7…”

Marshall Jones v. St. Louis-San Francisco Ry. Co., 728 F.2d 257 (6th Cir. 1984). · cites it 2× “After the Railway filed a motion for summary judgment, the court ruled as a matter of law that the alleged Railway Labor Act violations, 45 U.S.C. §§ 157 , 158 and 159, pertained to procedural mediation and/or arbitration rules to be followed when a controversy is not settled.”

Recording Indus. Ass'n of Am. v. Verizon Internet Servs., 257 F. Supp. 2d 244 (D.D.C. 2003). · cites it 2× “§ 24 (subpoenas for evidence to be used in connection with proceedings in Patent and Trademark Office); 45 U.S.C. § 157 (h) (subpoenas at the request of arbitrators under the Railway Labor Act); 7 U.”

Morton M. Hill, Jr. v. Norfolk & W. Ry. Co., 814 F.2d 1192 (7th Cir. 1987). “§ 158 (i), applies to the ad hoc private arbitration authorized by 45 U.S.C. § 157 First rather than to arbitration by national or regional adjustment boards (see 45 U.”

Toledo, P. & W. R. R. v. Bhd. of R.R. Trainmen, 132 F.2d 265 (7th Cir. 1942). · cites it 4× “Defendants also contend that plaintiff failed to comply with its statutory duty when it refused to arbitrate as required by the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C.A. § 157 , and the Norris-LaGuardia Act, 29 U.”

Bhd. of R.R. Trainmen v. Toledo, Peoria & W. R.R., 321 U.S. 50 (1944). · cites it 2× “” 45 U. S. C. § 157 , First. It is clear, therefore, that the Railway Labor Act’s purpose is not to impose upon the parties a legal duty to arbitrate, enforceable as is the duty to bargain collectively imposed by § 2, Ninth, discussed above.”

United States v. Charter Commc'ns, Inc., 393 F.3d 771 (8th Cir. 2005). “§ 24 , railroad employment arbitrations, 45 U.S.C. § 157 (h), and plant variety protection proceedings, 7 U.”

Henry Anderson v. The Nat'l R.R. Passenger Corp. (Amtrak), 754 F.2d 202 (7th Cir. 1985). · cites it 2× “Plaintiff also argued on appeal that defendant violated section 7 Third of the Railway Labor Act,- 45 U.S.C. § 157 Third. This section requires a board of arbitration to provide the parties with a full and fair hearing.”

Int'l Ass'n of MacHinists & Aerospace Workers v. E. Air Lines, Inc., 121 B.R. 428 (S.D.N.Y. 1990). · cites it 3× “This commenced a 30 day statutory cooling-off period, after which Eastern and IAM were freed from the procedures of the RLA and entitled to exercise economic self-help.”

Ralph Wells v. S. Airways, Inc., Air Line Pilots Ass'n, Int'l, 616 F.2d 107 (5th Cir. 1980). · cites it 2× “Although the Railway Labor Act expressly provides that “[n]o arbitrator [except the neutral arbitrator] shall be incompetent to act as an arbitrator because of his interest in the controversy to be arbitrated, or because of his connection with or partiality to either of the…”

Bhd. of Locomotive Engineers v. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Co., & United Transp. Union, 768 F.2d 914 (7th Cir. 1985). “” This is an optional method, see section 7 First of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. § 157 First; 10 Kheel, Labor Law § 50.”

Order of Ry. Conductors & Brakemen & Bhd. of R.R. Trainmen v. Clinchfield R.R. Co., 407 F.2d 985 (6th Cir. 1969). · cites it 3× “An arbitration award was made and, on May 3, 1967, the award was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, as required by 45 U.S.C. §§ 157 Third (f) and 159 First.”

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