Form 1

Parties to Dispute:

Dispute: Claim of E=, lo~res:

NATIONAL RATLROID ADJUS`1''T.IL',iiT I30AfLD

SE=nD DIVISION


Award No. 7626

Docket No. 7116

2-131VT-CM-' 7B

The Second Division consisted of the regular members and in addition Referee Robert C. Williams when award was rendered.

System Federation No. 7, Railway E.mployes'
Department, A. .r, of L. - C I 0.
(Carmen)

Burlington Northern Inc.





Z. I3. Vechazane
J. C. Lombardi
J . M. T·'a't;i a eX'
E. 1). Blucher
C. G. Breeden
J. H. Rohr
L. A. Iwa.pol:i_tan
W. L. HavTkins

Findings:

A. R. Coe
C'=. E. Myers
J. F. Swcdensky
F . S . P·!uno z
J. A. Merrick
Z°1. W. Mlyers
J- . ).2 . I,'Szro z
T. G. Morris

The Second Division of the Adjustment 13oax;~i, upon the whole record and all the evidence, finds that:

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

This Division of the Adjustment ;;owed t=as jurisdiction over the dispute involved herein.



The claim in this case was filed an January 20, 1970 by the Organization's Local Chairman. The Local Chairman's return address on the claim letter vras 4460 I~anan Strcet, Denver, Colorado. On I,Iarctz ~W, 1974 a letter of denial was sent by Company mail to the Local Chairman in care of the Carrier': Assistant Vaster Mechanic at Ord Stveet - .',3ttY'lpn.r);tar. u`!o .rLl:!ern R. R. , Denver, Colorado. The letter of denial was delivered fro the Local Chairman
Form 1 Award No. 7626
Page 2 Docket No. 71+6
2-BNI-CM-'78

on April 4, 1974. The letter of denial therefore was actually received by the Local Chairman eight (8) days after the sixty (EO) day time limit contained. in Rule 34( a.) .

The .procedural issue in this case is whether the Carrier complied with the sixty (60) day time limit in Rule 34(a.). Such notice provisions ordinarily are satisfied when a party gives up control of a letter by dispatching it in the U. S. T'a:ias ox other method of co_`rLrzunication author:ized by the Organization. There was no evidence in the record to show that the Local Chaixman auth_o??i,sea the use of t'.ne Con-:~pwny rails as a method of communication. In :fact, the Local Cha:i_r,:n:j.n used a, x~evurn address on his claim 1 et'ce r, but the Carrier elected to use another address for a carrier representative. The Carrier did not reiinquisln control over :its letter of denial when it -V:.ts sent in the Company .r=v.i1. The Local Chairman did not authorize the use of CoizNany mail. Under such circus=!stances not-ice, mas not effective until vll)o Carrier relinquished control over the letter ay actually- delivering, it to tae Local Clias.i~:<~n. The notice o1 denial

therefore eras not given by the Carrier until after the sixty (GO) day 'ciMliiuit under 1~z1e 3L-(a). This Board leas no discretion with respect -to this tine l:i_:r.t. Under Ivz;'.e *-,,I(a) a cl.a:irn :;asst be allowed as presented when the Carrier -fails to live tir.:ely notice. The claim tineref;:t~_- must be sustained on a procedural bWsi.^ and ;,his Board a<a~re;~ses no opinion concerning the merits of substwiitive issue;.








Attest: Executive Secretary
National Railroad Adjustment Board

.... ~~
BY f ` y'"~`'`<-~=v.%~.,~,P,.r~--;°_1.~ ~ ,,.~f,, . - ,~....¢,~?,..~;r .._.~ ~ :, ,. , ..~...--
___--'ko:;~emav:I a Bx°o.sclr -- tdrcirlis ~,rwuive i,;:s:i_:>'c~.nt

Dated/at Chicago, Illinois _, this ':Ls-t day of Jm7..y, 178.