Economy, finance and labor

Executive Order 13663: Establishing an Emergency Board to Investigate Disputes Between the Long Island Rail Road Company and Certain of Its Employees Represented by Certain Labor Organizations

President: Barack Obama

Created a second Presidential Emergency Board to investigate the unresolved Long Island Rail Road labor dispute.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13663 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13663 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13663 do?

EO 13663 invoked the Railway Labor Act’s commuter-rail procedure after the first emergency board did not produce settlement. A new three-member board reviewed the dispute and made recommendations while strikes and lockouts were delayed. The temporary board completed its work, and the Long Island Rail Road and unions reached a tentative agreement in July 2014.

Administration position: The board could recommend settlement terms but could not permanently impose a collective-bargaining agreement on the railroad or unions.
SignedMarch 20, 2014
AuthorityRailway Labor Act section 9A
RoleSecond emergency board

Before and after

Before the order

The first board’s recommendations had not resolved the contract dispute.

After the order

A second review and cooling-off period created more time for bargaining before a regional shutdown.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Emergency boardInvestigate and reportCompleted
Carrier and unionsMaintain the status quo during the statutory periodCompleted
National Mediation BoardAdminister the processCompleted

What happened next

EO 13663 created the second board.