A group of employees covered under the Railway Labor Act (RLA) and determined by the National Mediation Board (NMB) to share a community of work and interest appropriate for collective bargaining.

The NMB determines crafts or classes on a transportation system-wide basis when employees or a union file an application for an NMB election to begin a representation dispute. Therefore, a craft or class generally includes all employees of an RLA-covered employer, regardless of work location, who perform job functions that the NMB has determined are appropriately grouped together as a bargaining unit.

For more information, see Practice Note, Railway Labor Act: Overview.