Executive Order 13205: Establishing an Emergency Board To Investigate a Dispute Between Northwest Airlines, Inc., and Its Employees Represented by the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association
President: George W. Bush
Created Presidential Emergency Board 235 under the Railway Labor Act to investigate the Northwest Airlines–AMFA mechanics dispute and preserve the status quo while the board worked.
Status: Completed/expired.
Is Executive Order 13205 still in effect? No. Completed May 10, 2001; settlement reached without a board report.
What does Executive Order 13205 do?
The order assigned these duties: President — Appoint three disinterested emergency-board members; Emergency Board 235 — Investigate the dispute and report to the President.
Before and after
Before the order
The National Mediation Board had released the parties from mediation and found that the unresolved dispute threatened essential interstate air transportation.
After the order
The three-member board held a four-day hearing. With continued National Mediation Board assistance, the parties reached and ratified an agreement before the rescheduled report date, so PEB 235 ended without submitting a report.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| President | Appoint three disinterested emergency-board members | Board effective March 12, 2001 |
| Emergency Board 235 | Investigate the dispute and report to the President | Initially within 30 days |
| Northwest Airlines and AMFA | Maintain the status quo during the statutory period unless they agreed otherwise | During the board process and statutory cooling-off period |
What happened next
EO 13205 signed.
PEB 235 took effect.
The parties settled before the scheduled report date; the board ended without a report.
The ratified collective-bargaining agreement took effect.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Sections 10 and 201 of the Railway Labor Act, 45 U.S.C. §§ 160 and 181, authorized the temporary emergency-board process for an airline dispute. The order did not decide contract terms; the parties’ agreement resolved the dispute.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GAO — Airline Labor Relations report (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →