Form 1 rIATIOILAL RAIL.KAD ADJUSTMENT BOAFZ Award rdo. 6598
SECOND DIVISION Docket Tao. 6397




( International Associaticn of Machinists and
( Aerospace Workers
Parties to Dispute:
( Southern Pacific Transportation Company -
( Texas and Louisiana Lines

Dispute: Claim of Employes:





nd inas

The Second Division of the Adjustment Board, upon the whole record a-,.zd 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 RailW-GLy Labor Act as approved June 21, 1934.

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



Claimant was withheld from the service of the Carrier on December 31, 1970 because of an alleged violation of an operating rule which prohibited reporting for duty under the influence of any drug or medication. Subsequent to his being :withheld from service the claimant visited a doctor who gave him permission to return to work for light duty.

Claimant alleges that he was entitled to a hearing under Rule 34 in that he was being disciplined.
Form 1 Award No. 6598
f~ ige 2 Docket No. 637
2 -S PT (T&L) -MA-'73


                  Discipline-Investigations


            (a) A n emplcye ecvered by this agreement who has been in service'more than 60 days, or whose application has been formally approved, shall not be disciplined or dismissed ?,rithout first being given a fair and impartial investigation by an officer of the railroad. He may, however, in proper cases, be held out of service pending such investigation which shall be promptly held."


The record clearly reflects that t'.ze claimant was held out of service ab initio for an alleged violation of company rules. Subsequent justifications for the Carrier's actions cannot alter the claimant's rights under the agreement between the Organization and the Carrier.

The claimant was entitled to an investigation as set out in Rule 34. The failure of Carrier to follow the procedure set out therein violated the agreement.

This opinion has been reached without consideration of the material attached to the Carrier's rebuttal in that same was not presented during the handling on the property.

          We will sustain the claim without interest.


' A W A R D

          Claim sustained in accordance with the above Findings.


                              NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTNIM7 BOARD

                              By Order of Second Division


Attest: Executive Secretary'
          National Railroad Adjustment Board


By
Ro egmarie Brasch - Administrative Assistant

Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this 15th day of November, 1973.