Executive Order 13586: Establishing an Emergency Board to Investigate Disputes Between Certain Railroads Represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and Their Employees Represented by Certain Labor Organizations
President: Barack Obama
Created a five-member emergency board and temporary cooling-off period in a national freight-rail bargaining dispute.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13586 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13586 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13586 do?
EO 13586 invoked section 10 of the Railway Labor Act after the National Mediation Board warned that unresolved disputes threatened essential interstate transportation. Presidential Emergency Board 243 investigated bargaining disputes covering major freight railroads and multiple unions, reported within 30 days and then terminated. Statutory status-quo rules temporarily barred unilateral changes.
Before and after
Before the order
Mediation ended without settlement and the parties approached lawful self-help.
After the order
The emergency board created a cooling-off process and issued recommendations for renewed negotiations.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Board 243 | Investigate and report within 30 days | Completed |
| Carriers and unions | Maintain conditions during statutory period | Completed |
| National Mediation Board | Hold records after termination | Completed |
What happened next
EO 13586 established PEB 243.
The board became effective.
The board reported and closed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Section 10 of the Railway Labor Act authorizes the board and temporary status quo. The recommendations are not binding unless accepted or otherwise enacted.
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.
- National Mediation Board — PEB list (opens in a new tab) Official record
- National Mediation Board — FY 2012 report (opens in a new tab) Official record
- U.S. Code — 45 USC 160 (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →