Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
THIRD DIVISION
Award No. 35513
Docket No. CL-33398
01-3-96-3-797

The Third Division consisted of the regular members and in addition Referee Edwin H. Benn when award was rendered.

(Transportation Communications International Union
PARTIES TO DISPUTE:
' (Alton and Southern Railway

STATEMENT OF CLAIM:























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FINDINGS:

The Third Division of the Adjustment Board, upon the whole record and all the evidence, finds that:


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.


This Division of the Adjustment Board has jurisdiction over the dispute involved herein.




As Third Party in Interest, the United Transportation Union/Yardmasters Department was advised of the pendency of this dispute and chose to file a Submission with the Board.


On August 25, 1995, the Carrier implemented a new computerized inventory control system called TCS. Under TCS, the Yardmasters enter certain data through use of a CRT which is then generated by the TCS system into reports. The reports are utilized by the Yardmasters in the performance of their duties and to give instructions to others concerning the make up and movement of trains. The Organization asserts that as a result of TCS, the Yardmasters have been assigned Clerks' duties in violation of the Scope Rule. The Carrier and the Yardmasters disagree.




With respect to completing switch lists, making up hump lists and generating switch lists to printers, prior to TCS when a track was switched and ready to be humped, the Yardmasters reported the work performed to Clerks who entered the data into the computer which generated a list. After implementation of TCS, the Yardmasters enter the data directly into the computer and the lists are generated.


With respect to receipt times, doubling cars from bowl, receiving, industry, or shop, storage and main line tracks, and entering inbound train times, it appears from

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the record according to the Carrier that this information is still reported by Yardmasters to Clerks as in the past, but now, Clerks make the entry into TCS.


With respect to reporting interchange and transfer information, deleting from inventory cars delivered to off-going Roads and entering outbound train times, prior to TCS, Yardmasters reported the information to a Clerk who made the data entry. After implementation of TCS, that information is reported directly into the system by Yardmasters.


With respect to updating inventory car location, prior to TCS, Yardmasters reported this information to Clerks who made the data entry. After implementation of TCS, that information is reported directly into the system by Yardmasters.


With respect to adding information to the Morning Report, prior to TCS Yardmasters prepared this report without the aid of Clerks.






The parties also negotiated an April 15, 1960 Memorandum of Agreement providing:

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The Organization cites us to Third Division Award 26773. In that case, data entry functions given to Carmen that resulted in the generation of bills which were previously generated by Clerks was found to be an improper "transference of work." In that case, the Board found:


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The Carrier cites us to Third Division Award 32173. In that case, the Organization's claim that the entering of train information into the Carrier's computer by Yardmasters for a daily computer generated report known as a Situation Report was denied:


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First, with respect to the Organization's arguments concerning the Morning Report, as the Carrier argued on the property, that work appears to be the same work covered by the denial in Third Division Award 32173. However, if not so covered and for reasons discussed below, the work falls into the same category as discussed in that Award in that Yardmasters previously did this work by hand and Yardmasters now perform the same work through use of the CRT. No Scope Rule violation can be found for that work.


Second, with respect to receipt times, doubling cars from bowl, receiving, industry, or shop, storage and main line tracks, and entering inbound train times, from the record we cannot find that the evidence shows there has been any change in the work. From what is before us, Yardmasters continue to relay this information to a Clerk who enters the data into the TCS system, At best, there is a conflict in the assertions of the parties. However, the burden is on the Organization to demonstrate its assertion.


Third, generally and with respect to the other work claimed by the Organization which the record shows is now performed by Yardmasters through use of a CRT in the TCS System, the test articulated in Third Division Award 26773 between the parties shall be utilized in this matter - i.e., whether there was a "transference of work" and whether "the purpose of their work has changed from record keeping ...." Clearly, this has not been demonstrated by the Organization.


The key element underpinning the sustaining decision in Third Division Award 26773 was that as a result of being given data entry functions, the Carmen were, in

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effect, issuing bills - a function they did not previously perform and which was previously performed by Clerks. In effect, in that case there was a transfer of billing functions from Clerks to Carmen. That "transference of work" is not present in this case. Here, the work claimed by the Organization is record keeping previously performed by Yardmasters on a manual basis. With the implementation of TCS, Yardmasters still perform that function. While the manner in which Yardmasters perform their work has changed (i.e., now through use of a CRT), the "purpose of their work" has not changed. Yardmasters continue to record information to keep records and generate reports which they use to make up trains - that is all. Yardmasters have not taken over functions which they previously did not perform as Carmen did with respect to billing in Third Division Award 26773.


Fourth, the Organization argues that the Clerks' prior entry of data after being supplied the information by Yardmasters which resulted in the generation of reports makes this case like the generation of a bill in Third Division Award 26773. That is not a persuasive argument under the authority decided on the property. Third Division Award 26773 specifically looked at what was generated by the data entry performed by Carmen and found that something totally unrelated to their record keeping functions was the end result - i.e., a bill which Clerks previously issued. What comes out at the end of the process here are reports directly related to the Yardmasters' record keeping functions.


In sum, for the work which is the subject of this dispute, there has been no showing of a "transference of work . . . directly or indirectly . . . " from Clerks to Yardmasters. Indeed, to sustain the Organization's position in this case would take away work from Yardmasters which they previously performed. After implementation of TCS, all that has changed is the medium used by Yardmasters to perform their work.






      Claim denied.

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                        ORDER


This Board, after consideration ofthe dispute identified above, hereby orders that an Award favorable to the Claimant(s) not be made.


                        NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD By Order of Third Division


                        Dated at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day of July, 2001.