Does the Railway Labor Act (RLA) establish a federal minimum wage?

The Railway Labor Act (RLA) does not establish a federal minimum wage. The primary purpose of the RLA is to provide a framework for collective bargaining and to prevent disruptions in interstate commerce caused by labor disputes in the railroad and airline industries. While the RLA protects workers' rights to organize and engage in collective bargaining, it does not address wage standards or establish a federally mandated minimum wage for employees in the transportation sector or any other sector.

Minimum wage laws in the United States are primarily governed by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rather than the RLA. The FLSA outlines the federal minimum wage, which applies to most workers across various industries. Therefore, it is clear that the RLA's focus is not on setting wage levels but rather on the labor relations and dispute resolution processes within the railway and airline industries.