# Railway Labor Act The **Railway Labor Act** (1926) governs labor relations in the railroad industry, and since 1936 in the airlines. It predates the [[National Labor Relations Act]] and sits outside it. Disputes go to the [[National Mediation Board]] rather than the [[NLRB]], and the statute routes bargaining through lengthy mandatory mediation before workers may strike. In January 2026 the National Mediation Board ruled that [[SpaceX]] is covered by the RLA because "space transport includes air travel." The NLRB then dismissed its complaint over SpaceX's firing of eight engineers for lack of jurisdiction. See [[SpaceX v. NLRB]]. > [!note] Stub — expand with > The strike-procedure mechanics (Section 6 notices, release by the NMB, cooling-off periods, Presidential Emergency Boards) · the 2022 rail-strike intervention · the stakes for the commercial space industry if the SpaceX precedent spreads. ## See Also - [[National Mediation Board]] · [[National Labor Relations Act]] · [[NLRB]] - [[SpaceX v. NLRB]] · [[Musk Companies Labor Litigation]]