PARTIES TO DISPUTE:
 SYSTEM FEDERATION NO. 2, RAILWAY EMPLOYES'
 DEPARTMENT, A. F. OF L. (MACHINISTS)
 MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
 DISPUTE: CLAIM OF EMPLOYES: That Machinist J. F. Allen, North
 Little Rock, Arkansas, be paid for shortage due to being required to check
 out while handling grievances in roundhouse total amount involved 4 hours
 and 20 minutes at rate of 81¢ per hour.
 EMPLOYES' STATEMENT OF FACTS: Mr Allen is employed as machin
 ist at North Little Rock shops; he is duly elected chairman of Machinist Lodge
 No. 325, which includes machinist employes in both back shop and round
 house at that point. Mr. Allen was, on December 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8, required
 to check out at back shops for the purpose of handling grievances with
 master mechanic of roundhouse, being penalized the amount as set forth in
 claim.
 POSITION OF EMPLOYES: We take the position that the management
 in requiring Mr. Allen to check out of back shop, with the resulting loss of
 time, for the purpose of handling grievances in roundhouse, violated Rule 31
 (a) and (b) of wage agreement.
 "Rule 31 (a). Should any employe subject to this agreement
 believe he has been unjustly dealt with, the case shall be taken to the
 r Foreman, General Foreman, Master Mechanic or Shop Superintendent
 and Superintendent, each in their respective order, by the duly author
 ized local committee or their representative. Stenographic report of
 the investigation will be taken if requested; the aggrieved employe
 and his representative shall be furnished a copy.
 (b) All conferences between local officials and local committees to
 be held during regular working hours without loss of time to commit
 teemen or other employe representation."
 Employes' Exhibit A, letter, indicates that Mr. Hubener by his contention
 assumes an attitude of discrimination. Employes' Exhibit B, letter signed by
 Mr. Garber (third paragraph), is an admission of violation, and to substan
 tiate this claim we respectfully refer the Board to Rule 31 (d)
 "Rule 31 (d). Should the Chief Mechanical Officer and the ag
 grieved employe or his representative fail to agree, appeal may be
 made to the highest official designated by the railroad for handling
 appeals. If further appeal is taken, it shall be handled in accordance
 with the Railway Labor Act."
 which governs cases of this nature insofar as pay is concerned.
 We also respectfully refer the Board to the fact that committeemen of
 other crafts, with the exception of boilermakers, had not, prior to time this
 case was appealed to Mr. Clements, been required to check out of back shop
 when handling grievances in roundhouse.
 [111]

conferences between officials and local committees at other than between "local officials and local committees in the North Little Rock back shops," is denied, as there are no rules in our agreement to support their claim.


While our schedule rules are not identical with those of the National Agreement, the essence thereof is the same, and the interpretation placed thereon by the Assistant Director during Government control clearly defines the intent of the National Agreement rule, viz


Rule 35 of the National Agreement:

 " . All conferences between local officials and local committees to be held during regular working hours without loss of time to committeemen."

 Interpretation of Assistant Director:

 "Beg to advise that it was not the intent of this rule to allow local committees to hold conferences with officers of various departments as outlined during working hours without loss of time.

 The rule was intended to permit local committeemen in the maintenance of equipment department to handle grievances with the local officials having jurisdiction over such department without loss of time by having conferences arranged during working hours to handle such matters, and was intended to provide similar arrangements for local committees in the maintenance of way and other departments."

Employes on the Arkansas Division are separate and apart from those of the back shops; the seniority rosters are separate and apart, and for all intent and purposes it is a separate and distinct department, the back shops being under the jurisdiction of Mr. A. Hubener, shop superintendent, and confined to the one point-Little Rock, whereas those under the jurisdiction of the Division master mechanic, Mr. E. R. Hanna, are at several different points on the Arkansas Division, headquarters of the master mechanic being at Little Rock, Arkansas.


FINDINGS: The Second Division of the Adjustment Board, upon the whole record and all the evidence, finds that:


The carrier or carriers and the employe or employes involved in this dispute are respectively carrier and employe within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act, as approved June 21, 1934.


This Division of the Adjustment Board has jurisdiction over the dispute involved herein.


The parties to said dispute were given due notice of hearing thereon.

Paragraph (b) of Rule 31, which refers to "local officials," means those officers located at such local point, up to and including the master mechanic or shop superintendent, and provides that no loss of time will be suffered by "committeemen or other employe representation" when handling grievances with such officials.




Claim of employes sustained.


ATTEST: J. L. Mindling
 Secretary