Dispute: Claim of Employes: .


                              a


                1. That under the teams of the controlling agreement, the Norfolk and Western Railway Company improperly credited Machinist Apprentice C. A. Slye with overtime service for completion of periods of apprenticeship, thereby placing him ahead of Apprentice A. W. Parks in the seniority standing.


                2. That accordingly, the Norfolk and Western Railway Company be ordered to restore Apprentice Parks and Apprentice S3,ye is their proper seniority standing.


        Findings:


The Second Division of the Adjustment Hoard, upon the whole record
v~ and all the evidence, finds that:

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


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


          Parties to said dispute waived right of appearance at hearing thereon.


          In this dispute the Organization claims that Carrier improperly credited Apprentice Slye with overtime service in completing periods of apprenticeship with the result that he was placed ahead of Apprentice Parks in seniority standing.


          The Organization relies on Rule 39 of the schedule agreement in support of its position. The pertinent portion of that rule reads as follows:

Form. 1 Page 2

Award No. 6737
Docket No. 61+33
2-W-MA-' 74

"Applicants for regular apprenticeship.shall be between 16 and 23 years of age, and, if accepted, shall serve eight periods of one hundred and thirty (130) eighthour days of service each, overtime excluded. If retained in the service at the expiration of their apprenticeship, they shall be paid not less than the minimum rate established for journeymen mechanics of their respective crafts." (Underscoring added.)

Carrier contends that there has been no violation of the agreement, and further, that custom and practice prior to and subsequent to the agreement supports the action taken by Carrier.

Despite the Carrier's contentions, the record reveals that Apprentice Slye was improperly placed ahead of Claimant under the particular facts and circumstances of this dispute.

The Board further finds that the procedural issues raised by Carrier are of no consequence.

AWARD

Claim sustained.

NATICKAL RAIIFDAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD

By Order of Second Division


Attest: Executive Secretary
National Railroad Adjustment Board

vemarie Breach - Administrative Assistant

Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of July, 1974.