Executive Order 12925: Establishing an Emergency Board to Investigate a Dispute Between the Soo Line Railroad Company and Certain of its Employees Represented by the United Transportation Union
President: Bill Clinton
Created a three-member emergency board for the Soo Line–United Transportation Union dispute and temporarily barred changes to the parties’ positions.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 12925 still in effect? No. Executive Order 12925 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 12925 do?
EO 12925 responded to a threatened interruption of interstate rail service by creating Presidential Emergency Board 226 under the Railway Labor Act. The board had to investigate the Soo Line Railroad dispute and report within 30 days of its creation. For 60 days after creation, the parties could not alter the conditions underlying the dispute except by agreement. The board’s report and statutory cooling-off period were time-limited and are complete.
Before and after
Before the order
The unresolved dispute threatened substantial interruption of interstate commerce.
After the order
A neutral board investigated while the parties observed a temporary status quo.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Board | Investigate and report to the President | Within 30 days |
| Railroad and union | Maintain the status quo unless mutually agreed | For 60 days |
What happened next
EO 12925 created the board.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Section 10 of the Railway Labor Act authorizes an investigative board and temporary cooling-off period, not binding arbitration unless the parties separately agree.
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.
- U.S. Code — 45 U.S.C. § 160 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →