August 19, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD
LIRR AND BLET, BRS, IAMAW, IBEW, AND TCU ENTER COOLING-OFF PERIOD
Washington, D.C. – The National Mediation Board (NMB) confirms that, pursuant to the
Railway Labor Act, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
(BRS), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation
Communications Union (TCU) were released by the NMB from statutory mediation on
August 18, 2025, and a 30-day cooling-off period begins on August 19, 2025. Absent
agreements or the establishment of a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB), the parties
could exercise self-help as of 12:01 a.m. EDT, September 18, 2025.
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The National Mediation Board (NMB) is an independent agency created by the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor management relations in the railroad and airline industries. To avoid serious disruptions to the Nation’s economy and protect the public interest, the Act imposes on carriers and their employees the duty of settling disputes through negotiation, mediation, and arbitration. The NMB, headed by three Presidential appointees, has as its chief statutory responsibilities: (1) mediation of collective bargaining disputes; (2) determination of employee representation for collective bargaining processes; and (3) administration of a grievance arbitration system.
Contact: NMB Public Information Line: 202-692-5050
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