of this Act shall be considered compensation solely for purposes of (1) the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231 et seq.); and (2) determining the compensation received by such employee in any base year under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 351 et seq.). (45 U.S.C. 797d) ASSIGNMENT OF WORK SEC. 706. (a) GENERAL.-With respect to any craft or class of employees not covered by a collective bargaining agreement that provides for a process substantially equivalent to that provided for in this section, the Corporation shall have the right to assign, allocate, reassign, reallocate, and consolidate work formerly performed on the rail properties acquired pursuant to the provisions of this Act from a railroad in reoganization to any location, facility, or position on its system if it does not remove such work from coverage of a collective bargaining agreement and does not infringe upon the existing classification of work rights of any craft or class of employees at the location or facility to which such work is assigned, allocated, reassigned, reallocated, or consolidated. Prior to the exercise of authority under this subsection, the Corporation shall negotiate an agreement with the representatives of the employees involved permitting such employees the right to follow their work. (b) EXPIRATION.-The authority granted by this section shall apply only for as long as benefits are provided under this title with funds made available under section 713 of this Act. (45 U.S.C. 797e) CONTRACTING OUT SEC. 707. All work in connection with the operation or services provided by the Corporation on the rail lines, properties, equipment, or facilities acquired pursuant to the provisions of this Act and the maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, or modernization of such lines, properties, equipment, or facilities which has been performed by practice or agreement in accordance with provisions of the existing contracts in effect with the representatives of the employees of the classes or crafts involved shall continue to be performed by the Corporation's employees, including employees on furlough. Should the Corporation lack a sufficient number of employees, including employees on furlough, and be unable to hire additional employees, to perform the work required, it shall be permitted to subcontract that part of such work which cannot be performed by its employees, including those on furlough, except where agreement by the representatives of the employees of the classes or crafts involved is required by applicable collective-bargaining agreements. The term "unable to hire additional employees" as used in this section contemplates establishment and maintenance by the Corporation of an apprenticeship, training, or recruitment program to provide an adequate number of skilled employees to perform the work. (45 U.S.C. 797f) NEW COLLECTIVE-BARGAINING AGREEMENTS SEC. 708. (a) AGREEMENT.-Not later than 60 days after the effective date of any conveyance pursuant to the provisions of this Act, the representatives of the various classes or crafts of employees of a railroad in reorganization involved in a conveyance and representatives of the Corporation shall commence negotiation of a new single collective bargaining agreement for each class and craft of employees covering the rate of pay, rules, and working conditions of employees who are the employees of the Corporation. Such collective bargaining agreement shall include appropriate provisions concerning rates of pay, rules, and working conditions, but shall not, before April 1, 1984, include any provisions for job stabilization which may exceed or conflict with those established herein. Negotiations with respect to such single collective bargaining agreement, and any successor thereto, shall be conducted systemwide. (b) PROCEDURE.—(1) Any procedure for finally determining the components of the first single collective bargaining agreement for any class or craft, agreed upon before the effective date of this title, shall be completed no later than 45 days after such effective date. Such agreed upon procedure shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of sections 7 and 8 of the Railway Labor Act. The National Mediation Board shall appoint any person as provided for by such agreements. (2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the parties to enter into a new single collective bargaining agreement if the agreement between the parties in effect immediately prior to the effective date of this title complied with section 504(d) of this Act as in effect immediately prior to such date. (c) RAILWAY LABOR ACT NOTICES.-Employees of the Corporation may not serve notices under section 6 of the Railway Labor Act for the purpose of negotiating job stabilization or other protective agreements with the Corporation until after April 1, 1984. (45 U.S.C. 797g) EMPLOYEE AND PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS SEC. 709. (a) LIABILITY FOR EMPLOYEE CLAIMS.-In all cases of claims, prior to April 1, 1976, by employees, arising under the collective bargaining agreements of the railroads in reorganization in the Region, and subject to section 3 of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 153), the Corporation, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or an acquiring carrier, as the case may be, shall assume responsibility for the processing of any such claims, and payment of those which are sustained or settled on or subsequent to the date of conveyance, under section 303(b)(1) of this Act, and shall be entitled to direct reimbursement from the Association pursuant to section 211(h) of this Act, to the extent that such claims are determined by the Association to be the obligation of a railroad in reorganization in the Region. Any liability of an estate of a railroad in reorganization to its employees which is assumed, processed, and paid pursuant to this subsection by the Corporation, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or an acquiring carrier shall remain the preconveyance obligation of the estate of such railroad for purposes of section 211(h)(1) of this Act. The Corporation, the Na tional Railroad Passenger Corporation, an acquiring carrier, or the Association, as the case may be, shall be entitled to a direct claim as a current expense of administration, in accordance with the provisions of section 211(h) of this Act (other than paragraph (4)(A) thereof), for reimbusement (including costs and expenses of processing such claims) from the estate of the railroad in reorganization on whose behalf such obligations are discharged or paid. In those cases in which claims for employees were sustained or settled prior to such date of conveyance, it shall be the obligation of the employees to seek satisfaction against the estate of the railroads in reorganization which were their former employers. (b) ASSUMPTION OF PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS.-All cases or claims by employees or their personal representatives for personal injuries or death against a railroad in reorganization in the Region arising prior to the date of conveyance of rail properties, pursuant to section 303 of this Act, shall be assumed by the Corporation or an acquiring railroad, as the case may be. The Corporation or the acquiring railroad shall process and pay any such claims that are sustained or settled, and shall be entitled to direct reimbursement from the Association pursuant to section 211(h) of this Act, to the extent that such claims are determined by the Association or its successor authority to be the obligation of such railroad. Any liability of an estate of a railroad in reorganization which is assumed, processed, and paid, pursuant to this subsection, by the Corporation or an acquiring railroad shall remain the preconveyance obligation of the estate of such railroad for purposes of section 211(h)(1) of this Act. The Corporation, an acquiring railroad, or the Association, as the case may be, shall be entitled to a direct claim as a current expense of administration, in accordance with the provisions of section 211(h) of this Act (other than paragraph (4)(A) thereof), for reimbursement (including costs and expenses of processing such claims) from the estate of the railroad in reorganization on whose behalf such obligations were discharged or paid. (45 U.S.C. 797h) LIMITATIONS ON LIABILITY SEC. 710. (a) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.-The liability of the United States under an agreement entered into or benefit schedule prescribed under section 701 of this Act or for payment of a termination allowance under section 702 of this Act shall be limited to amounts appropriated under section 713 of this Act. (b) THE CORPORATION.—(1) The Corporation, Amtrak Commuter, and commuter authorities shall incur no liability under an agreement entered into or benefit schedule prescribed under section 701 of this Act or for the payment of a termination allowance under section 702 of this Act. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, until April 1, 1984, the Corporation shall have no liability for employee protection in the event of a sale of any asset to a purchaser, and such purchaser shall assume the liability for the application of employee protection conditions imposed by the Commission for all employees adversely affected by such sale. (45 U.S.C. 797i) PREEMPTION SEC. 711. No State may adopt or continue in force any law, rule, regulation, order, or standard requiring the Corporation to employ any specified number of persons to perform any particular task, function, or operation, or requiring the Corporation to pay protective benefits to employees, and no State in the Region may adopt or continue in force any such law, rule, regulation, order, or standard with respect to any railroad in the Region. (45 U.S.C. 797j) FACTFINDING PANEL SEC. 712. (a) PURPOSE.-The Corporation shall enter into collective bargaining agreements with it employees which provide for the establishment of one or more advisory factfinding panels, chaired by a neutral expert in industrial relations, for purposes of recommending changes in operating practices and procedures which result in greater productivity to the maximum extent practicable. (b) NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD.-The National Mediation Board shall appoint public members to any panel established by an agreement entered into under this subparagraph, and shall perform such functions contained in the agreement as are consistent with the duties of such Board under the Railway Labor Act. (c) OTHER FUNCTIONS.-The factfinding panel may, before making its report to the parties, provide mediation, conciliation, and other assistance to the parties. (45 U.S.C. 797k) CLASS II RAILROADS RECEIVING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE SEC. 713. The Surface Transportation Board shall impose no labor protection conditions in approving an application under section 10902 of title 49, United States Code, when the application involves a Class II rail carrier which— (1) is headquartered in a State, and operates in at least one State, with a population of less than 1,000,000 persons, as determined by the 1990 census; and (2) has, as of January 1, 1996, been a recipient of repayable Federal Railroad Administration assistance in excess of $5,000,000. (45 U.S.C. 7971) ARBITRATION SEC. 714. Any dispute or controversy with respect to the interpretation, application, or enforcement of the provisions of this title, except sections 703, 704, 708 and 713, or section 1144 of the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981, and except those matters subject to judicial review under section 1152 of the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981, which have not been resolved within 90 days, may be submitted by either party to an Adjustment Board for a final and binding decision thereon as provided in section 3 of the Railway Labor Act, in which event the burden of proof on all issues so pre |