US SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

The Railway Labor Act applies to the State Belt Railroad, a common carrier owned and operated by the State of California and engaged in interstate commerce, and, notwithstanding the fact that the Railroad's employees are state employees appointed under the state civil service laws, the National Railroad Adjustment Board has jurisdiction over claims based on a collective bargaining agreement between the Railroad and its employees which conflicts with the state civil service laws, as does the Railway Labor Act itself. Pp. 353 U. S. 554-568.

(a) Federal statutes regulating interstate railroads, or their employees, have consistently been held applicable to publicly owned or operated railroads, though they do not refer specifically to public railroads as being within their coverage. Pp. 353 U. S. 561-563.

(b) Nothing in the legislative history of the Act indicates that it should be treated differently from such other federal railway statutes insofar as its applicability to a state-owned railroad is concerned. Pp. 353 U. S. 563-564.

(c) A different result is not required by the fact that, in certain other federal statutes governing employer-employee relationships, Congress has expressly exempted employees of the United States or a State. Pp. 353 U. S. 564-566.

(d) The fact that the Act's application will supersede state civil service laws which conflict with its policy of promoting collective bargaining does not detract from the conclusion that Congress intended it to apply to any common carrier by railroad engaged in interstate commerce, whether or not owned or operated by a State. Pp. 353 U. S. 566-567.

(e) By engaging in interstate commerce by rail, California has subjected itself to the commerce power of Congress, and Congress can regulate its relationships with the employees of its interstate railroad. P. 353 U. S. 568.

233 F.2d 251 affirmed. chanrobles.com-red

Page 353 U. S. 554