Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 23, 1990                   TAG: 9003231913
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOARD TO TACKLE RAILROAD HEALTH COSTS

Under an elaborate plan worked out between labor and management in the industry, the White House will appoint a board to deal with health-care issues the two sides have been unable to resolve since 1984. The board will then stay in business to mediate the wage and work-rules issues in any new contract.

An emergency board normally has 30 days to make its recommendations under the Railway Labor Act, which governs negotiations in the railroad and airline industries. But this one will have 120 days.

The Railway Labor Executives Association, which represents the unions in national contract negotiations, has agreed not to strike for at least 30 days after the emergency board has completed its work.

The union also agreed it would not strike if Congress was not in session, even if the 30-day cooling off period had expired.

It will be the second time this year the Bush administration has become actively involved in trying to resolve health-care cost issues in a specific industry. Last month, as part of the contract settlement between the United Mine Workers of America and the Pittston Co., the Labor Department appointed a special 11-member commission to come up with recommendations to resolve the health-care cost problems in the nation's coal industry.

Although the board would be appointed to deal with the entire labor contract between the industry and the unions, the key issue is health care. The industry, facing annual increases in health-care costs of 15 to 20 percent, wants employees to pay a greater share of the costs.

Although the union agreement with industry and the White House sets a Sept. 15 target date for the emergency board to complete its work, the unions also have agreed to grant the board "any reasonable request for an extension of time." A source close to the negotiations said both labor and management are aware there could be "lengthy extensions" of time involved.