Railway Labor Review

Railway Labor Review
Title	Railway Labor Review
Discipline	Labor relations, transportation law, industrial relations
Language	English
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
Publisher	Railway Labor Review Press
Firstdate	1915

Railway Labor Review is a specialized periodical covering labor relations, dispute resolution, and legal developments affecting railroad and transit employees. Founded in the early 20th century, the journal has chronicled arbitration awards, statutory changes, and institutional decisions shaping railway employment across North America. Its readership includes practitioners from labor unions, carrier management, arbitration panels, and academic institutions.

History

The publication emerged amid debates following the Panama Canal Commission era and during labor unrest contemporaneous with the Seattle General Strike and the aftermath of the Adamson Act. Early editors drew on contributors active in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Order of Railway Conductors, and the American Railway Union. During the New Deal period, the Review documented implementations of the Wagner Act and responses by the Association of American Railroads and the National Mediation Board. In mid-century, coverage tracked shifts prompted by landmark rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States and interventions by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Later decades saw the Review engage with freight deregulation after the Staggers Rail Act and with restructuring events involving the Conrail reorganization and Amtrak formation.

Scope and Purpose

The journal serves as a forum for analysis of collective bargaining outcomes, arbitration jurisprudence, and labor statutes such as the Railway Labor Act and federal agency interpretations by the National Transportation Safety Board when they intersect with employee rights. It aims to inform stakeholders including representatives from the Transport Workers Union of America, counsel from firms litigating before the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and scholars affiliated with institutions like Cornell University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Review routinely juxtaposes award summaries with commentary referencing precedents involving the Federal Railroad Administration, the National Labor Relations Board where jurisdiction overlaps, and international comparators such as rulings affecting the International Labour Organization.

Publication and Distribution

Published on a quarterly schedule, the Review distributes print and institutional subscriptions to libraries at the Library of Congress, law schools such as Harvard Law School, and labor archives including the George Meany Memorial Archives. Digital access is provided to members of unions like the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes and to corporate subscribers including regional carriers such as BNSF Railway and CSX Transportation. The editorial office has been hosted in cities with dense rail infrastructure, including offices near hubs like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Editorial Structure and Contributors

The editorial board traditionally comprises former arbitrators appointed by panels convened under the Railway Labor Act, representatives nominated by labor federations including the AFL–CIO, and academic editors from programs at Georgetown University and Columbia University. Regular contributors include labor attorneys who have argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, arbitrators with experience on panels formed by the National Mediation Board, and historians affiliated with societies such as the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. Guest essays have come from figures associated with the United Transportation Union and counsel from corporate law firms that have represented carriers in proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board.

Influence and Impact

The Review has influenced practice by disseminating award digests cited in briefs filed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and has been used as a teaching resource in courses at New York University and Ohio State University. Its analyses have been referenced in testimony before congressional committees such as the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and in policy memos circulated to the Department of Transportation. Through detailed reporting on arbitration trends, the Review has affected bargaining positions taken by leadership of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in intermodal negotiations.

Notable Cases and Coverage

The journal has provided in-depth coverage of arbitrations arising from derailments investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and of disciplinary cases escalated to panels under the Railway Labor Act after strikes like those associated with disputes at Union Pacific Railroad. It chronicled litigation linked to the breakup of Conrail and disputes involving commuter agencies such as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York). The Review also analyzed precedent-setting awards involving safety rules that intersected with agency guidance from the Federal Aviation Administration when multi-modal operations were implicated.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics have argued the Review has at times reflected institutional biases favoring established arbitral practices endorsed by bodies like the National Mediation Board and the Association of American Railroads, prompting responses from advocacy groups connected to the Railroad Workers United coalition. Debates have arisen over editorial independence when contributors have held concurrent roles with unions such as the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen or with carrier legal departments representing entities like Norfolk Southern Railway. Questions about access and paywall policies have been raised by librarians at the Library of Congress and academics at Rutgers University.

Category:Rail transport publications Category:Labor relations