term:

Major Dispute

major dispute n

: a labor dispute that pursuant to the Railway Labor Act concerns the making or modification rather than the interpretation of a collective bargaining agreement called also new contract dispute; compare minor dispute NOTE: Under the Railway Labor Act, which is also referred to in airline cases, a major dispute must go to mediation or arbitration if necessary.

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.