Dear
Mr. Siegele:
In
regards to the above reference, please note the enclosed copies of rticle III of the May
20, 1993 Crew Consist Agreement, Question and Answer
No. 1 of Section 1(b) of that Article III and Question and Answer No.
1 of Section 2(c) (i) of Article III. Also note the enclosed copy of Appendix “E”
Board Award No. 130, Supplement No. 1.
There
is no apparent argument concerning the use of one road extra board(Conductors or
Brakemans) to supplement the other road board. When both road extra boards are exhausted,
Question and Answer No. 1 of Section 2(c) (i) applies. That Question and Answer reads as
follows:
1.
Q. Are yard extra board
employees required to protect road assignments when the road extra boards are exhausted?
A. Yard extra boards will continue to
protect temporary vacancies for brakeman assignments when both road extra boards
are exhausted.” (emphasis added)
Thus
by agreement, practice and understanding, yard extra boards are not to be utilized to
supplement in road service to fill conductors vacancies.
Further,
when yard extra boards are exhausted, Section 6(v) applies and requires all sources to be
exhausted in the yard before calling any employee from a road brakeman’s or conductor’s
extra board. To that extent, Carrier is obligated to call and utilize any extra or regular
yard employee, including those subject to punitive rates before resorting to road
employees. Further, restrictions apply to prior rights roadmen, but will not be further
addressed at this time.
From
the language available, there should be virtually no calls placed to road employees to
protect yard service.
This
is to advise that time claims will be initiated each time a yard employee is called to
work in road service as a conductor and each time all available yardmen are not called and
utilized and an extra road employee is called for yard service.
With
best wishes, I am,
Yours
truly
JD Fitzgerald
cc: BN
General Chairmen
G.O. Hartsock
D.R. Howard
J.L.
Schollmeyer