[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 49 (Monday, December 11, 2006)]
[Pages 2128-2129]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13417--Establishing an Emergency Board To Investigate 
Disputes Between Metro-North Railroad and Certain of Its Employees 
Represented by Certain Labor Organizations

December 6, 2006

    Disputes exist between Metro-North Railroad (Metro-North) and 
certain of its employees represented by certain labor organizations. The 
labor organizations involved in these disputes are designated on the 
attached list, which is made a part of this order.
    The disputes have not heretofore been adjusted under the provisions 
of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, 45 U.S.C. 151 et. seq. (RLA).
    A party empowered by the RLA has requested that the President 
establish an emergency board pursuant to section 9A of the RLA (45 
U.S.C. 159a).

[[Page 2129]]

    Section 9A(c) of the RLA provides that the President, upon such 
request, shall appoint an emergency board to investigate and report on 
the disputes.

     Now, Therefore,  by the authority vested in me as President by the 
Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 9A of 
the RLA, it is hereby ordered as follows:

    Section 1. Establishment of Emergency Board (Board). There is 
established, effective 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on December 7, 
2006, a Board of three members to be appointed by the President to 
investigate and report on these disputes. No member shall be pecuniarily 
or otherwise interested in any organization of railroad employees or any 
carrier. The Board shall perform its functions subject to the 
availability of funds.

    Sec. 2. Report. The Board shall report to the President with respect 
to the disputes within 30 days of its creation.

    Sec. 3. Maintaining Conditions. As provided by section 9A(c) of the 
RLA, from the date of the creation of the Board and for 120 days 
thereafter, no change in the conditions out of which the disputes arose 
shall be made by the parties to the controversy, except by agreement of 
the parties.

    Sec. 4. Records Maintenance. The records and files of the Board are 
records of the Office of the President and upon the Board's termination 
shall be maintained in the physical custody of the National Mediation 
Board.

    Sec. 5. Expiration. The Board shall terminate upon the submission of 
the report provided for in section 2 of this order.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 December 6, 2006.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:50 a.m., December 7, 
2006]

Note: This Executive order and its attached list were published in the 
Federal Register on December 8.