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A National Mediation Board-certified arbitrator Aug. 16 ruled that a second neutral arbitrator would be appointed to break a potential tie vote by a special board governing arbitration of a locomotive remote-control (LRC) dispute between Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and United Transportation Union, according to a news item posted Aug. 16 to UTU's Web site.


The arbitrator chose the railroads' proposal, under which a "deadlock neutral" would be appointed who would attend all arbitration hearings and consider written filings but not participate in executive sessions or deliberations.


In the event the four-member procedural arbitration panel has a tie vote, the deadlock neutral's sealed, written decision (submitted to NMB) would be unsealed to break the tie.


BLE, UTU and National Carriers Conference Committee June 25 agreed to settle the LRC dispute through an arbitration panel comprising three partisan members and a neutral chairman. Because the unions and railroads couldn't agree on procedures governing a possible split vote, an arbitrator was installed to resolve the issue.