Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD Award No. 7+29
SECOND DIVISION Docket No. 7113
2-WT-CM-'78





Parties to Dispute: ( (Carmen)




Dispute: Claim of Employes:





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 ox employes involved in this dispute are respectively carrier and employe within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act as approved June 21, 193+.

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



Claimant was absent fox five days without notifying Carrier. Claimant was subsequently dismissed from service fox violating Rule 18, the pertinent portion of which reads:


Form 1 Page 2

Award No. 7+29
Docket No. 7313
2-WT-CM-'78

The organization contends that Claimant was disciplined and denied the right to a hearing. It also asserts that Carrier failed to meet its burden of showing that Claimant knew of Rule 18 since Carrier had ceased issuing copies of rules to employes.

With respect to the first contention the Board finds that Rule 18 is a self-invoking rule and discipline was not involved in this dispute. Several awards of this and other Divisions support this view.

With respect to the second contention, the record shows that Claimant signed a certificate that he was successfully examined on the rules, and further that portions of Rule 18 regarding unauthorized absences were posted. Under such circumstances, the burden shifts to Claimant to rebut the presunption of knowledge established by Carrier. No rebuttal was presented in the record, and the claim must be denied.

A W A R D

Claim denied.

Attest: Executive Secretary
National Railroad Adjustment Board

NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD

By Order of Second Division


By
semaxie Brasch - Administrative Assistant

Dated at Chicago, Illinois,

this 6th day of January, 1978.