Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 5, 1990 TAG: 9004040969
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A11 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS BUSINESS WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
However, the railroads and the unions - with the apparent concurrence of the Bush administration - have agreed to the appointment of a presidential emergency board, which would have until Sept. 15 to study and make recommendations for settling the dispute.
The agreement means the emergency board will have roughly 3 1/2 months longer than it normally would have under federal law to study the issue.
The emergency board will report on key health and welfare issues first, while the parties continue mediated bargaining on wages and work rules.
After making recommendations on health care, the board will turn its attention to wages and work rules if those matters have not already been settled, Frank Wilner, a spokesman for the American Association of Railroads, said.
The two sides have agreed to "any reasonable request for an extension of time of the emergency board to allow ample time for hearings, mediation and formulation of recommendations." The unions also have agreed not to strike while Congress is not in session, he said.
That means there is "virtually no likelihood of a railroad strike in 1990," Wilner said, because Congress will recess in early October for the congressional elections.
A strike is unlikely anyway because in recent years whenever the railroads or unions have rejected the recommendations of a presidential board, Congress has imposed the recommendations.
by CNB