It is the policy of the people of the State of California that featherbedding practices in the railroad industry should be eliminated and that national settlement of labor controversies relating to the manning of trains should be made effective in California. Accordingly the award of the Federal Arbitration Board No. 282 appointed by President John F. Kennedy pursuant to Congressional Public Law 88-108 of August 28, 1963, providing for the elimination of excess firemen and brakemen on diesel powered freight trains, or awards made pursuant thereto, shall be made effective in this State. Said award was the culmination of the proceedings originating with the Presidential Railroad Commission which was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the request of both railroad labor and management and reported to President Kennedy on February 26, 1962.
Nothing contained in the laws of this State or in any order of any regulatory agency of this State shall prevent a common carrier by railroad from manning its trains in accordance with said award, in accordance with any federal legislation or awards pursuant thereto, or in accordance with any agreement between a railroad company and its employees or their representatives.
(Added November 3, 1964, by initiative Proposition 17. Note: Prop. 17 (the Railroad Anti-Featherbedding Law of 1964) also includes Section 6900.1.)