NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
THIRD DIVISION Docket Number CL-22160
(Brotherhood of Railway, Airline and
( Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers,
( Express and Station Employes
PARTIES TO DISPUTE:
(Southern Pacific Transportation Company
( (Pacific Lines)
STATEMENT OF CLAIM: Claim of the System Committee of the Brotherhood
(GL-8386) that:
(a) The Southern Pacific Transportation Company violated
the Clerks' Agreement on February 16, 17 and 23, 1974, when it required
and/or allowed Assistant Chief Dispatchers who do not hold seniority
rights thereunder to perform work theretofore assigned to and performed
by Agreement covered employes; and,
(b) The Southern Pacific Transportation Company shall now
be required to allow employe D. J. Blake eight (8) hours' additional
compensation at the time and one-half rate of Dispatcher Clerk
Positions 351 and 350 each date February 16 and 17, 1974, respectively;
and
(c) The Southern Pacific Transportation Company shall now
be required to allow employe B. E. Wallner eight (8) hours' additional
compensation at the time and one-half rate of Dispatcher Clerk Position
350 February 23, 1974; and
(d) The Southern Pacific Transportation Company shall be
required to allow interest at the rate of 2% per month compounded
monthly commencing February.l, 1974 and continuing until the claims
of employes Blake and Wallner have been allowed as presented.
OPINION OF BOARD: This claim, filed March 27, 1974, results from
the allegation by the Clerks' Organization that
three Assistant Chief Dispatchers performed clerical work within the
scope of the Clerks' Agreement at Carrier's Roseville, California
train dispatcher office on February 16, 17 and 23, 1974.
Award Number 22689 Page 2
Docket Number Ch-22160
Referee hearing was held at which Organization and Carrier
representatives and the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA)
as third party appeared and argued the issues. ATDA also filed a
written submission as part of the record in this case. All parties
have cited or submitted numbers of opinions of this Board in support
of their position. The issues here involved have been fully argued
in Referee hearing and Panel discussion and studied in our consideration of this case.
The case arose under the following circumsstances:
By way of background, on September 16, 1971, Carrier and
the Clerks' Organization concluded an agreement, known as the TOPS
agreement. "POPS" is an acronym for Total Operations Processing
System -- Carrier's computerized information system. The TOPS
agreement is essentially an employe protective agreement in
connection with the installation and operation of Carrier's electronic
computer system, involving, among other matters, changes in methods
of work accomplishment.
Some two and one-half years later, on February 16, 1974,
Carrier established an additional position of Assistant Chief
Dispatcher on each of three shifts for a six months trial period,
pursuant to the recommendation of a Carrier-Train Dispatcher Joint
Committee established under the provisions of a May 27, 1937
national agreement. These three positions were abolished after
the six-months trial period.
It is the work allegedly performed by these three newly
assigned Assistant Chief Dispatchers that led to this dispute
presently before us.
The Clerks charge as follows:
1. On February 16, 1974, the Assistant Chief Dispatcher
used Form 236-Power Change and Failure and performed clerical
duties assigned to Dispatcher Clerk and Dispatcher Clerk (Steno)
in Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's memorandum of November 13, 1973
which, the Clerks assert, "outlined" the duties of clerks and
Assistant Chief Dispatchers.
Award Number 22689 Page 3
Docket Number CL-22160
2. Also on February 16, 1974, but on the nest shift, an
Assistant Chief Dispatcher "performed clerical work of obtaining
information on power swap from Assistant Chief Dispatcher J. Johnson,
dispatcher on South District and then relaying it to" the Dispatcher
Clerk.
3. On February 17, 1974, the Assistant Chief Dispatcher
"obtained bad order units information from Mountain Dispatcher,
R. Colbert,
and by-passing
clerks on duty relayed that information
directly to the TOPS Clerk in TOPS Room."
4. On February 23, 1974, the Assistant Chief Dispatcher
performed "clerical duties" assigned to Dispatcher Clerks or
Dispatcher Clerk (Steno) per Chief Dispatcher Notice of November 13,
1973 "by obtaining information on bad order units from Mountain
Dispatcher and relaying same to the Tops Clerk in Tops Rooms in
direct conflict with instructions from C. L. K.Lennedy/, Chief
Dispatcher."
The Clerks' Organization asserts that the work subject to
claim in this case is covered by the Clerks' Scope Rule; that it
has been the usage, practice and custom for clerical employes.to
perform such work; that the specific work had been assigned to
clerks by Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's instructions of April 19 and
November 13, 1973; and that the Assistant Chief Dispatchers'
performance of such work conflicted with the Chief Dispatcher's
instructions.
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's April 19 memorandum was
addressed to Assistant Chief Dispatchers, Dispatchers, and Clerks.
He noted that some Assistant Chief Dispatchers were personally
filling out forms and performing other "clerical" duties that
should be delegated to Clerks. In order to allow Assistant Chief
Dispatchers "more time to devote to crews and power and supervisions
of Train Dispatchers" Assistant Chief Dispatchers were instructed
to delegate specific work to Clerks, i.e.:
"Preliminary Hot Box Reports.
"Sight Reports.
"Up-dating on line delays.
"Power change and/or engine failures.
"Exchanging lineups with other Assistant Chief Disprs -
will be necessary for you to show tentative arrival
tiers in pencil on mini sheets for Clerks use.
Award Number 22689 Page 4
Docket Number CL-22160
"Make phone calls for you to relay or obtain information.
"Obtain power on hand from roundhouse forces.
"Put information on tape recorders.
"Encourage people you are working with to get certain
information or furnish information to/from Clerks.
"If one Clerk is busy, use one of the others.
"Occasionally will be necessary for Clerk to use your
mini sheets, please cooperate."
Clerks were instructed to "assume the above."
The memo concluded:
"I have been advised by several Assistant Chief
Dispatchers recently that handling of crews and
watching railroad has not been performed to their
satisfaction (nor mine) because they were busy with
reports. This should alleviate the situation."
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's November 13, 1973 memorandum,
addressed to Assistant Chief Dispatchers, Train Dispatchers, and
Tops Clerks, reads:
"Severe criticism received today from General Manager
regarding non-compliance Roseville Dispatcher's Office
inputting TOPS reporting procedures, particularly
unit failures, line ups and updating of lineups and
to correct this condition the following
procedures
will be instigated effective 12:01 AM, November 14,
1973:
1. All unit failures on line will be placed in
lower left hand corner of train sheet in space
provided under extra-ordinary and unusual
occurrences.
TOPS Clerk will check trick rooms periodically and
pick up this information off train sheet and
promptly input same.
2. To correct input distribution of helpers at
regular intervals of at least every 2 hours.
TOPS Clerk will check with Trick Dispatcher
Mountain, Coast and Cal-P regarding movements
of helpers and promptly input information secured.
Award Number 22689 Page 5
Docket Number CL-22160
"3. The TOPS Clerk will pull 16 hour AQ of trains
on line your respective districts. The Assistant
Chief Dispatcher will orally update this lineup
or AQ to the TOPS Clerk during second and sixth
hour of prospective shift and TOPS Clerk will
promptly update same.
4. The only TOPS report now required to be maintained
by Assistant Chief Dispatchers will be report of
trains projected to run from your various yard."
The November 13 memorandum was supplemented by one dated
November 15, 1973 addressed to TOPS CLERK - Office, as follows:
"My W/430/13 of November 13th in connection with
reporting engine failure, helper, updating sight
reports, etc.
"There is no objection to getting this information
from either Asst Chief Dispatcher or Train Dispatcher,
in other words, if one of them is busy then you
should ask the other one to furnish information to
your should-ask you are in Train Dispatchers office, picking
up bad order units, check with train dispatcher to
determine any power that has been changed out on his
district or any units that have been set out and/or
picked up making appropriate entry into TOPS computer."
The Clerks' Organization relies heavily on Award 31 of
Public Law Board 843, on this property, which sustained a claim by
the Clerks that Assistant Chief Dispatchers performed clerical
work covered by the Clerks' Scope Rule. The dispute in that case
arose in 1963 and was decided September 16, 1974, some six months
after the filing of the instant claim.
The claim submitted in that case alleged that Assistant
Train Dispatchers at Bakersfield, California compiled and typed
passenger train lineup; handled and typed messages in regard to
livestock; and typed "messages in regard to Cabooses, Bad Order
Cars, Excessive loads, including calls on passenger and Freight
trains."
Award Number 22689 Page 6
Docket Number CL-22160
PLB 843 reviewed the Clerks' and the Dispatchers' Agreements and determined that "the position a
Chief Dispatcher are of a supervisory nature. Nowhere in the
section LDefinition of Chief, Night Chief, and Assistant Chief
Dispatcher's Positions/ do we find any statement that requires the
Assistant Chief Train Dispatcher to make or keep records of any
kind or nature."
The Board then concluded:
"We hold that the Carrier restricted itself with
reference to the type of work Assistant Chief
Dispatchers could do under the Agreement between
the Carrier and the Train Dispatchers. We find
that in allowing the Assistant Chief Dispatchers
to perform and do clerical work, the Carrier
violated the Agreement between the parties to
this dispute."
The Clerks, ca=nting on Award 31, state that the Board
in that case heard the same Carrier arguments as propounded by
Carrier is the instant case and rejected them.
The Clerks categorize Award 31 of PLB 843 as res iudicata
on this property, since it involves the same parties and the same
agreements. As additional support for the position, the Organization cites Third Division Award 2203
relevant part:
"Accordingly, having thus found that Decision No. 6
jof a special board on the property/ is controlling,
we mist, of necessity, affirm that this decision is
directly relevant to this property only and must
not disturb or contravene the generally accepted
application of other like rules on other properties.
If the parties wish to change this construction,
they must do so through the collective bargaining
process."
Carrier defends by asserting that the Clerks have not
proved exclusive system-wide rights to the performance of the work
claimed by the Clerks. Carrier also denies that Award 31 of PLB
843 is applicable to the present case in two major respects:
Award Number 22689 Page 7
Docket Number CL-22160
the claim decided by PLB 843 arose in the 1960'x, prior to the TOPS
system and the TOPS agreement with the Clerks; and that the work
considered by PLB 843 involved compiling and typing of messages by
dispatchers -- which is not the type of work included in the
instant claim.
Carrier also contends that Award 31 was improper and a
violation of the Railway Labor Act in that no third party notice
was issued to the Train Dispatchers as interested third party.
The Train Dispatchers in their submission essentially take the
same position as Carrier, contending that they were not notified
of the dispute which was decided by PLB 843 in its Award 31 and
that since that Board interpreted the Dispatcher' Agreement
without its presence and knowledge, Award 31 was a nullity.
Carrier also argues that Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's
instructions cannot be construed as an exclusive reservation or
grant of work to clerical employes. Instead, the Chief Dispatcher's
April 19, 1973 memorandum states that Assistant Chief Dispatchers
"should" delegate some of their "clerical" duties to clerks in
order to allow them more time for "crews and power and supervisions
of Train Dispatchers."
Carrier insists that the disputed work is not reserved
exclusively to clerks and that unless it has restricted itself by
agreement, the assignment of work necessary for its operations is
an inherent management prerogative.
Carrier maintains that both the Clerks and the Dispatchers
have continued to perform the same type of work done prior to the
implementation of TOPS and the assignment of the three Assistant
Chief Dispatcher positions on a trial basis, although the methods
have changed due to the computer installation. In short, Carrier
states, dispatchers continue their past practice of collecting
train operating data which they turn over to clerks for further
processing and/or input to TOPS. Under the 1971 TOPS agreement,
Carrier states, clerks enter all the information involved in this
dispute to TOPS; the TOPS agreement does not require any particular
procedure or method to be followed in furnishing such information
to the clerks. Carrier's Ex Parte Submission comments on this
point: "Now the clerks obtain the information involved to put into
TOPS, in what form they obtain it, and from whom or where they
obtain it is not a legitimate concern of the clerks."
Award Number 22689 Page 8
Docket Number CL-22160
Before turning to the merits, we must address ourselves
to Carrier's objection that the instant claims are untimely and,
therefore, should be dismissed. Carrier's position is that the
new changes and procedures were placed into effect in 1971, when
TOPS was introduced, but that the claims were filed in 1974,
long after the 60 day requirement specified in the Agreement.
The Clerks take the position that the claims are
attributable to the Carrier's assignment of clerical work to the
positions of Assistant Chief Dispatcher which were established on
February 16, 1974 and that the claims, filed on March 27, 1974
are, accordingly timely.
It is our opinion that Carrier's time limit argument
is invalid and must be dismissed, since the incidents complained
of arose at the time of, and as a result of, the alleged assumption
of clerical duties by the three Assistant Chief Dispatchers at
various times during the first week that they were first assigned
to that position in 1974.
In addressing ourselves to the merits, we first consider
the precedential significance of Award 31 of Public Law Board 843,
which was decided September 16, 1974, about six months after the
filing of the claims before us. In short, is Award 31 the "law"
on this property?
As we read the record, the incidents giving rise to the
dispute handled by FIB 843 took place in 1963 at Bakersfield,
California, long before the installation of TOPS. Moreover, the
work complained of by the Clerks at that time consisted of
compiling, handling, and typing messages on the following
enumerated matters: passenger train lineup, livestock, cabooses,
bad order cars, excessive loads, including calls on passenger and
freight trains.
Compiling, handling and typing messages -- the work at
issue before PLB 843 -- differs in significant respects from the
work complained of herein. The claims in the instant case,
described almost verbatim supra, have the following common
characteristics:
Award Number 22689 Page 9
Docket Number CL-22160
1. They charge that one Assistant Chief Dispatcher
obtained information on power or bad order units from another
Assistant Chief Dispatcher or from the 'Tlountain Dispatcher" and
that such action either by-passed a clerk on duty or constituted
"clerical work".
2. They charge that an Assistant Chief Dispatcher used
Form 236 and "performed clerical duties assigned to clerk's position."
3. In two of the incidents, the Assistant Chief Dispatcher
gave the information » one dealing with bad order locomotive units
and the other with power swap -- to a clerk.
There is no detailing in the charges as to precisely what
were the "clerical duties assigned to clerk's position" or
"clerical work of obtaining information on power swap" allegedly
performed by the Assistant Chief Dispatcher which violated the
Clerks' Agreement. There is no specification of the means by
which the Assistant Chief Dispatcher "obtained information" from
another Assistant Chief Dispatcher or from the '14auntain Dispatcher"
-- and how and in what manner this constituted "clerk's work" as
charged.
In any event, it seems clear to us that the work in
dispute in the instant case differs significantly from that which
was the subject of Award 31 of PLB 843, and that Award 31 is
distinguishable in that it involved dispatchers doing typing and
other work of a purely clerical nature not incident to their duties.
Building on the decision in Award 31 of PLB 843, the
charge is made that the position of Assistant Chief Dispatcher does
not under any circumstances contemplate the performance of clerical
work; that the duties of these positions are entirely supervisory
in nature and do not contemplate compiling Carrier's forms or
drawing information from forms and communicating that information
to clerical employes.
Contrary evidence is present in the Chief Dispatcher's
April 19 and November 13, 1973 memos, which reveal that Assistant
Chief Dispatchers had been filling out forms and reports. The
April 19 memo directs Assistant Chief Dispatchers to review
dispatchers' and/or yard delay sheets and inform Clerks of changes
Award Number 22689 Page 10
Docket Number CL-22160
to be made or dictate the changes. The November 13 memo, item 4,
requires Assistant Chief Dispatchers to maintain the TOPS report
of trains "projected to run from your various yard."
As we have earlier indicated, the Clerks' Organization
has cited to-us Third Division Award 22038 (Roukis), as exemplifying
the principle of res udicata. A close reading of that Award
disclosed that the claim in a prior case, which decided the issue
presented in Award 22038, involved "circumstances identical to
those here present." (underlining added). No such identity of
circumstances can be found, in our judgment, between the activities
present in Award 31 and those involved in the case here under
consideration.
The question still remains, however, as to whether the
work complained of herein falls within the Clerks' Scope Rule.
To this issue we now turn.
The most informative and explicit information bearing an
this question is a statement by Chief Dispatcher Kennedy which
outlines and compares how various reports were handled and reported
at Roseville prior to and following the inception of the TOPS system.
The section of his statement most relevant to the aforementioned
claims is titled POWER FAILURES & CHANGES and reads:
"Prior to inception of TOPS, power failures or
changes were not reported to anyone except to
next Engine Maintenance facility usually by phone
or occasionally by message by Assistant Chief
Dispatcher. Other than occasionally typing a
message, clerks did not at any time enter into
this phase of the operations. With the introduction of the Power Bureau, these were reported on
the periodic report that was compiled by the
Assistant Chief Dispatcher usually in longhand
and sent to San Francisco by FAX. This information
is now entered into the computer. At the inception
of this program, Assistant Chiefs were furnished
a form more or less a replica of a computer card
to assist out inexperienced key punch operators.
As out key punch operators became more proficient,
Award Number 22689 Page 11
Docket Number CL-22160
"the form was abandoned and key punch operator
either checks with trick dispatcher to see if
anything to report or is handed a memo or informed verbally of necessary information to be
entered into computer. This is done by trick
dispatchers, assistant chiefs, and at times by
chief dispatcher."
Inasmuch as the claims filed by the Clerks were directed
at the three Assistant Chief Dispatcher positions created as a
result of the Carrier-Train Dispatcher Joint Committee recommendations, Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's s
to the work they performed during the six months' trial period,
in the following terms:
"TEMPORARY SET OF ASSISTANT CHIEF DISPATCHERS
"The Dispatchers Organization filed an overload
complaint and as a result of a joint board investigation, an extra set of assistant chief dispatcher
were established in this office for a test period
from February to September 1974. At the conclusion
of the test period it was decided they were not
necessary and were abolished. These jobs were not
assigned any territory but used to assist regular
positions in any way possible. This included
checking delay reports before entering into computer,
updating sight reports, informing key punch operator
of unit failures & changes, etc. No deviation from
handling of reports as described above was made.
The only difference being which individual handled
particular incident, the regular assigned assistant
chief or the so called rover chief. At no time did
these positions perform clerical work."
The record contains a similar statement dealing with the
procedures at the Eugene (Oregon) Dispatcher's Office, as follows:
"(3) Engine Failures. Before TOPS, failed engines
were reported to those concerned by message. The
Assistant Chief Dispatcher would dictate a message,
complete with addresses, to the stenographer-clerk,
who would type the message for transmission by the
Communications Department.
Award Number 22689 Page 12
Docket Number CL-22160
"Under the TOPS system, the Assistant Chief
Dispatcher records engine failures on the 'Power
Change and/or Failure Worksheet' and the stenographer-clerk enters to TOPS."
The Clerks' Organization, in rebuttal, submitted the
following statement by a former Assistant Chief Dispatcher who
was assigned to one of the three positions in question during the
six months trial period:
"While working position 383 assistant chief
dispatcher I was at no time responsible for the
movement of trains on a division or assigned
territory involving the supervision of train
dispatchers and other similar employees nor was
I at any time responsible for the supervision
of the handling of trains or the distribution
of power crews and equipment incident thereto.
"These duties remained the sole responsibilities
of the other 4 previously assigned assistant
chief dispatchers north, south, east and west.
"My duties were of clerical nature."
We are thus confronted with conflicting statements by
the Chief Dispatcher and the former Assistant Chief Dispatcher.
The latter's statement adds no probative evidence other than the
assertion that his "duties were of clerical nature." By contrast,
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's statement described with some degree
of specificity and detail the work performed by Assistant Chief
Dispatchers to substantiate Carrier's position that Assistant
Chief Dispatchers did not perform clerical work. Based on the
entire record before us, we are of the opinion that the evidence
submitted by the Chief Dispatcher is entitled to greater weight
and credibility.
The initial claim by the Clerks, dated March 27, 1974
addressed to Superintendent Robinson charged that the Assistant
Chief Dispatchers were performing clerical duties "in direct
conflict with instructions from C. L. K., Chief Dispatcher."
(Underlining added).
Award Number 22689 Page 13
Docket Number CL-22160
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's April 19, 1973 memo directed
Assistant Chief Dispatchers to delegate certain listed work to
clerks.
la our judgment, the Chief Dispatcher's directive or
instructions did not constitute an exclusive grant of jurisdiction
to clerks to perform the listed work. It is not clear that the
Chief Dispatcher had the authority under the applicable Rules
Agreement to make exclusive work assignments or to transfer work
from one craft to another. Only the agreement between the parties
could make such assignment; the agreement is controlling. The
Chief Dispatcher's instructions were not a part of the agreement
between the parties, but merely operating instructions and cannot
be construed as part of the agreement. The Chief Dispatcher is
not empowered to write rules for the company.
Carrier cites on this point Award 36 of Public Law Board
843 involving the parties here in dispute. That Award held;
"The Brotherhood refers to the directive of
A. W. Kilborn, dated December 24, 1963, and claims
that if the directive had been complied with the
Claimant would have been called. Carrier contends
that the directive does not have the force of an
agreement rule and does not confer any rights on
the Claimant. Whatever rights the Claimant has
are found in the Agreement alone. The Carrier,
in support of its position, cites several Awards of
the Third Division. We concur in the holdings in
those Awards."
This Board concurs in the decision enunciated in Award 36
of PLB 843.
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's April 19, 1973 memorandum
instructed Assistant Chief Dispatchers to delegate to clerks the
tasks of filling out forms and performing other "clerical" duties
which Assistant Chief Dispatchers had been doing. (Quotation
marks in the original
memorandum). The
memorandum did not state
that the forms and "clerical" duties referred to constituted work
which belonged to Clerks.
Award Number 22689 Page 14
Docket Number CL-22160
Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's November 13, 1973 memorandum
was updated by a supplemental notice dated November 15, 1973
addressed, solely to TOPS CLERK-Office. The notice specifically
directed such clerks to obtain information in accordance with the
following instruction:
'Tfp W/430/13 of November 13th in connection with
reporting engine failure, helper, updating sight
reports, etc.
"There is no objection to getting this information
from either Asst Chief Dispatcher or Train Dispatcher,
in other words, if-one of them is busy then you
should ask the other one to furnish information to
your
lsic//.
Notwithstanding that TOPS clerks were instructed to
obtain information from either the Assistant Chief Dispatcher or
Train Dispatcher, the basis for claims 2 and 3 listed earlier was
that the Assistant Chief Dispatcher had relayed information on
bad order units to the TOPS clerk.
The thrust of Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's April 19, 1973
memo was that Assistant Chief Dispatchers were "busy with reports",
and his instruction to clerks to assume certain specified work
was, in his words, to "alleviate the situation" so that the
Assistant Chief Dispatchers could be more effective in "handling
of crews and watching railroad." It seems clear to us, from his
language that Assistant Chief Dispatchers had been compiling
reports, and had been doing so for some time, and that they had
been doing the work complained of prior to the issuance of his
instructions. There is no evidence in the record before us that
the Clerks' Organization had filed any claims that such work on
"reports" by Assistant Chief Dispatchers violated the Clerks'
Agreement.
The Rules Agreement between the Clerks and the Carrier
was effective November 15, 1971 and the TOPS agreement two months
earlier, on September 16, 1971. Chief Dispatcher Kennedy's first
memorandum to Assistant Chief Dispatchers and to Clerks was dated
April 19, 1973 -- about one and one-half years after the effective
dates of these agreements. The second series of instructions were
issued November 13 and 15, 1973, respectively -- two years after
Award Number 22689 Page 15
Docket Number CL-Z2160
the effective dates of these agreements. Thus, for at least this
period of time -- and even prior thereto (according to the Chief
Dispatcher's statement) -- Assistant Chief Dispatchers had been
performing,the work which gave rise to the claims before us,
without, it appears, any objection by the Clerks. The statements
previously referred to_by Chief Dispatcher Kennedy describing the
operations of the Dispatcher's Office at Roseville, and by Chief
Inspector Mayberry describing the procedures at Eugene would
indicate that Assistant Chief Dispatchers at both locations had
been performing the disputed work before the establishment of TOPS
and subsequent thereto.
The Organization maintains that Third Division Award 19318
(O'Brien), involving the same parties on this property represents
case law for these parties which should be controlling in the
instant case. Award 19318 found that the work in dispute in that
case, which had been assigned to Carmen, was not, as claimed by
Carrier, incidental to the Carmen's assignment. The Award then
stated:
"Rather, we are of the opinion that the disputed
work is of the kind that has been performed by
Clerks historically in the past. It is clerical
work and must be performed by employes of the
Clerks' Organization. To hold otherwise would be
obviating the Clerks' Scope Rule which reserves
to the Clerks clerical work customarily and
historically performed by employes of their craft.
The disputed work performed in the Freight Train
Yard Car Foreman's office is this kind of clerical
work. To allow employes not covered by the Clerks'
Agreement to perform this work would infringe on
the collective bargaining agreement, duly
negotiated by the parties hereto. This we are
unwilling to do."
But as we have noted, and the evidence before us so
indicates, the specific work in dispute in the instant case has
not been "customarily and historically performed" by Clerks on this
property. This is true, based on the evidence, both at Roseville
and at Eugene.
Award Number 22689 Page 16
Docket Number CL-22160
Even in the absence of any other substantive evidence
that clerks had previously performed the claimed work, and without
intending to define "customarily and historically performed" in
terms of a specific period of time, it is difficult to see how a
claim filed in March 1974, based on a claim of violation of a
Chief Dispatcher's instructions issued April 19, 1973, November 13,
1973, and November 15, 1973, can fall within the concept of
"customarily and historically performed" so as to recognize the
work covered by the claim as within the Clerks' exclusive right and
jurisdiction.
Carrier has consistently maintained that the work complained
of was not reserved exclusively to clerks by the Clerks' Scope Rule,
and that such work has not been performed by clerks historically,
traditionally and customarily, system-wide, to the exclusion of all
others. Based on the entire record before us, we find no support
for the Clerks' contention that the Assistant Chief Dispatchers,
on the dates specified, performed clerical work "which had for many
years prior thereto been assigned to and regularly performed by
clerical forces working under the Clerks' Agreement." Accordingly,
we must deny the claim.
FINDINGS: The Third Division of the Adjustment Board, upon the whole
record and all the evidence, finds and holds:
That the parties waived oral hearing;
That the Carrier and the Employes involved in this dispute
are respectively Carrier and Employes within the meaning of the
Railway Labor Act, as approved June 21, 1934;
That this Division of the Adjustment Board has jurisdiction
over the dispute involved herein; and
That the Agreement was not violated.
Award Number 22689 Page 17
Docket Number CL-22160
A W A R D
Claim denied.
NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
By Order of Third Division
ATTEST:'/ V
.02
Executive Secretary
Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this 14th day of December 1979.