Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen PARTIES TO DISPUTE:




Claim on behalf of the following employees for dinner meal expense while working away from headquarters during the month of January 1978.









OPINION OF BOARD: The Claimants have submitted a claim for meal expenses
for certain designated days. Rule 304(c) of the Agreement specifies that employee .hall not be required to work more than 2 hours after regular bulletin hours without being permitted to go to meals, and provides for meal periods at further 6 hour intervals. Rule 600(e) makes certain reference to expense payment
According to the Claimants, the Carrier arbitrarily refused to reimburse them for dinner expenses incurred while they were performing work away from their assigned headquarters for more than 2 hours after their assigned working hours.

The Carrier has noted that the claim, as progressed, was rather sketchy concerning factual assertions, and in any event, the Employes are attempting to expand the c


The Hoard has fully reviewed the record, and with the information available to us, we are unable to sustain the claim. Regardless of whether or not the Carrier violated any provisions of the Agreement by its action, the fact remains that this claim is for expense payments, and we do not find any contrarbmal basis to substantiate the claim based upon the facts as we understand them, We emphasize that this Award deals only with the precise issues presented to conflict.

        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 Mnployes 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 Agreemsat vas not violated.


                      A W A R D


        Claim denied.


                          NATIONAL RAILROAD AW;B'HEtT BOARD

                          By Order of Third Division


        ATTEST: fteentive Secretary


        Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this 3rd day of November 1981., ,--


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