On December 14, the National Mediation Board (NMB) rejected a request from six unions to be released from mediation with the National Carriers’ Conference Committee (NCCC).

In early November, the Transportation Communications International Union (TCU), the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (a division of TCU), the American Train Dispatchers Association, the Transport Workers Union of America, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers asked the NMB to release them from mediation with the NCCC. The unions stated that “absolutely no progress” had been made toward an agreement in the three meetings that had occurred since mediation began this summer. In response, the NCCC contended that the request was “wholly premature and unwarranted” and that, in fact, progress had been made in mediation as evidenced by the parties’ proposals that “substantially modify their original bargaining positions.” After weighing both sides, the NMB declined to release the unions from mediation.