Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ALLTUSTMENT BOARD Award No. 11126
SECOND DIVISION Docket No. 11222
2-BN-EW-187
The Second Division consisted of the regular members and in
addition Referee Paul C. Carter when award was rendered.
(International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
Parties to Dispute:
(Burlington Northern Railroad Company
Dispute: Claim of Employes:
1. That in violation of the current Agreement, Communications Electronic Technician D. M. Smith was unjustly withheld and later dismissed from
the service of the Burlington Northern Railroad as the result of an investigation held May 15, 1985.
2. That the investigation held on May 15, 1985 was not a fair and
impartial investigation in that Electronic Technician Smith did not receive
required advance written notice of the full and specific charges for which the
investigation was being held and for which he was later disciplined.
3. That Electronic Technician Smith was further denied the required
fair and impartial investigation when the same Carrier Officer preferred the
charges, conducted the investigation, dispensed the discipline and demonstrated clear prejudicial conduct in allowing hearsay testimony while at the same
time denying Mr. Smith the right to cross-examine or confront those whose testimony was presented against him.
4. That accordingly, the Burlington Northern Railroad be directed to
reinstate Electronic Technician D. M. Smith to its service with undisturbed
full seniority rights, compensate him for all wages lost while withheld or
dismissed from service, compensate him for or restore all rights he is entitled to under the Agreement which were lost or adversely affected by his
dismissal, and that all record of the subject investigation be removed from
his personal record. Claim begins May 7, 1985, and continues until Technician
Smith is restored to service and made whole.
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 employes 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.
Form 1 Award No. 11126
Page 3 Docket No. 11222
2-BN-EW-187
at 8 a.m., Monday, May 6, 1985, and at 8 a.m.,
Tuesday, May 7, 1985, and for the purpose of in
vestigating your alleged violation of General Rule
566 at the BN Technical Training Center, Kansas
City, Missouri, about 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 7,
1985. Arrange for representative and/or witnesses
if desired, in accordance with governing provisions
of prevailing schedule rules.
This is to advise that you are being withheld from
service pending results of the investigation.
Please acknowledge receipt by affixing your signa
ture in the space provided on copy of this letter
and return to this office promptly."
The Notice was over the signature of Carrier's Superintendent of Ccrununications.
General Rule 566, cited in the Notice, reads:
"Employees must not report for duty under the
influence of any alcoholic beverage, intoxicant,
narcotic, marijuana or other controlled substance,
or medication, including those prescribed by a
doctor that may in any way adversely affect their
alertness, coordination, reaction, response or
safety."
A copy of the Transcript of the Investigation conducted on May 15,
1985, has been made a part of the record. We have reviewed the Transcript and
find that the Investigation was conducted in a fair and impartial manner.
None of Claimant's substantive procedural rights was violated. It was not
improper to accept medical reports into the record of the Investigation without the writer thereof being present. Claimant was notified of his dismissal
from service on May 28, 1985. deb find that substantial evidence was adduced
at the Investigation in support of the charges against Claimant. Claimant was
clearly guilty of conduct that cannot be condoned. Usually a blood alcohol
test of 0.10$ is considered intoxicated under laws pertaining to the operation
of motor vehicles. It is also evident that Claimant tampered with the urine
samples given for the urinalysis. There is no proper basis for the Board to
interfere with the discipline imposed.