(a) It shall be the duty of all carriers, their officers, agents and employees to exert every reasonable effort to make and maintain agreements concerning rates of pay, rules, and working conditions, and to settle all disputes, whether arising out of the application of such agreements or otherwise, in order to avoid any interruption to commerce or to the operation of any carrier growing out of any disputes between the carrier and the employees thereof.

(b) All disputes between a carrier or carriers, and its or their employees shall be considered, and, if possible, decided, with all expedition, in conference between representatives designated and authorized so to confer, respectively, by the carrier or carriers and by the employees thereof interested in the dispute.

(a) The disputes between an employee or group of employees and a carrier or carriers growing out of grievances or out of the interpretation or application of agreements concerning rates of pay, rules, or working conditions, including cases pending and unadjusted on the date of approval of this act (June 21, 1934, 48 Stat. 1185; 45 U.S.C. 151-162), shall be handled in the usual manner up to and including the chief operating officer of the carrier designated to handle such disputes; but, failing to reach an adjustment in this manner, the disputes may be referred by petition of the parties or by either party to the appropriate division of the Adjustment Board with a full statement of the facts and all supporting data bearing upon the disputes.

(b) No petition shall be considered by any division of the Board unless the subject matter has been handled in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, approved June 21, 1934.

The National Railroad Adjustment Board was organized as of July 31, 1934, in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, approved June 21, 1934. The said Adjustment Board is composed of four Divisions, whose proceedings shall be independent of one another. The First, Second and Third Divisions thereof are each composed of 10 members, and the Fourth Division thereof is composed of 6 members.

(a) First Division. The First Division will have jurisdiction over disputes involving train-and yard-service employees of carriers; that is, engineers, firemen, hostlers, and outside hostler helpers, conductors, trainmen, and yard-service employees.

(b) Second Division. The Second Division will have jurisdiction over disputes involving machinists, boilermakers, blacksmiths, sheet-metal workers, electrical workers, car men, the helpers and apprentices of all the foregoing, coach cleaners, power-house employees, and railroad-shop laborers.

(c) Third Division. The Third Division will have jurisdiction over disputes involving station tower, and telegraph employees, train dispatchers, maintenance-of-way men, clerical employees, freight handlers, express, station, and store employees, signal men, sleeping-car conductors, sleeping-car porters, and maids and dining-car employees.

(d) Fourth Division. The Fourth Division will have jurisdiction over disputes involving employees of carriers directly or indirectly engaged in transportation of passengers or property by water, and all other employees of carriers over which jurisdiction is not given to the First, Second, and Third Divisions.

(a) Parties. All parties to the dispute must be stated in each submission.

(b) Statement of claim. Under the caption “statement of claims” the petitioner or petitioners must clearly state the particular question upon which an award is desired.

(c) Statement of facts. In a “joint statement of facts,” if possible, briefly, but fully set forth the controlling facts involved. In the event of inability to agree upon a “joint statement of facts,” then each party shall show separately the facts as they respectively believe them to be.

(d) Position of employees. Under the caption “position of employees” the employees must clearly and briefly set forth all relevant, argumentative facts, including all documentary evidence submitted in exhibit form, quoting the agreement or rules involved, if any; and all data submitted in support of employees' position must affirmatively show the same to have been presented to the carrier and made a part of the particular question in dispute.

(e) Position of carrier. Under the caption “position of carrier” the carrier must clearly and briefly set forth all relevant, argumentative facts, including all documentary evidence submitted in exhibit form, quoting the agreement or rules involved, if any; and all data submitted in support of carrier's position must affirmatively show the same to have been presented to the employees or duly authorized representative thereof and made a part of the particular question in dispute.

(f) Signatures. All submissions must be signed by the parties submitting the same.

(g) Ex parte submission. In event of an ex parte submission the same general form of submission is required. The petitioner will serve written notice upon the appropriate Division of the Adjustment Board of intention to file an ex parte submission on a certain date (30 days hence), and at the same time provide the other party with copy of such notice. For the purpose of identification such notice will state the question involved and give a brief description of the dispute. The Secretary of the appropriate Division of the Adjustment Board will immediately thereupon advise the other party of the receipt of such notice and request that the submission of such other party be filed with such Division within the same period of time.

(a) To conserve time and expedite proceedings all parties within the scope of the Adjustment Board should prepare submissions in such manner that the pertinent and related facts and all supporting data bearing upon the dispute will be fully set forth, thus obviating the need of lengthy briefs and unnecessary oral discussions.

(b) All submissions shall be typewritten or machine prepared, addressed to the Secretary of the appropriate Division of the Adjustment Board, and fifteen copies thereof filed by the petitioner or petitioners.

(c) Parties to a dispute are required to state in all submissions whether or not an oral hearing is desired.

(a) Oral hearings will be granted if requested by the parties or either of them and due notice will be given the parties of the time and date of the hearing.

(b) The parties are, however, charged with the duty and responsibility of including in their original written submission all known relevant, argumentative facts and documentary evidence.

Parties may be heard either in person, by counsel, or by other representatives, as they may respectively elect.

All awards of the Adjustment Board shall be signed by order of the appropriate Division thereof and shall be attested by the signature of its Secretary, as indicated thus: