(a) This claim is filed on behalf of Mr. Richard Knox, TSR, North Billerica, MA. This claim is for four days, June 30 through July 3, 1997, at the rate of eight hours at time and one-half, as well as car mileage 80 miles one way, 160 miles per day, for 640 miles total.

(b) The Carrier violated the Agreement when it refused to cover 0600 Clerk's position at East Deerfield Yard after Mr. Knox requested to cover the 5 day vacancy created by Mr. J. Fowler's vacation.

(c) The Rules violated are 11.1, 11.4, 21.1, 21.3 and all other rules of the Agreement.

The carrier or carriers and the employee or employees involved in this dispute are respectively carrier and employee within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act, as approved June 21, 1934.

The Carrier's position of Transportation Services Representative at East Deerfield was vacant due to a scheduled vacation of the incumbent of the job. Claimant had made application to fill the vacancy. The Carrier elected to blank the job.

The Organization filed this claim for the Claimant. Rule 21.1 deals with the filling of temporary vacancies, which reads:

"21.1 When the Carrier elects to fill vacancies of five (5) working days or more but less than thirty (30) working days duration, including vacation absences of five (5) working days or more, the senior qualified employee making written application will be so assigned, provided undue impairment is not caused to the service (e.g., the inability to fill behind the senior employee making application)."

Carrier argues that it does not have to fill the vacancy and that even if it did fill the job, there was nobody available to fill the Claimant's job; a fact the Organization did not dispute.