Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
THIRD DIVISION
Award No. 37012
Docket No. SG-36854
04-3-01-3-401

The Third Division consisted of the regular members and in addition Referee Robert Perkovich when award was rendered.

(Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen PARTIES TO DISPUTE:


STATEMENT OF CLAIM :



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.
Form 1 Award No. 37012
Page 2 Docket No. SG-36854
04-3-01-3-401



On July 9, 1998, the Claimant voluntarily entered into an agreement with the Carrier in which he agreed to waive an Investigation and to accept discipline of disqualifying himself from holding a territory position and agreed to remain on position under supervisory authority until revoked by the Signal Department Supervisor. Moreover, he acknowledged in the agreement that he so agreed after having consulted a representative of the Organization. On or about June 1, 2000 the Claimant sought assignment to a Signal Foreman position. The Carrier refused to assign him and instead assigned a junior employee. At the time, his agreement signed in 1998 had not yet been revoked.


The governing Rule in this dispute is Rule 35. It clearly requires that an employee seeking a promotion must be able to perform the job in question. In this instance, the Claimant was not able because he had voluntarily disqualified himself from holding any position that was not under supervisory authority. Because the position in question was one such position, the Claimant was not able and therefore, despite his seniority, the Carrier properly denied him the Signal Foreman position in question.


The Organization also relies on Rule 37. However, that Rule does not apply because on its face it applies only to those employees who have accepted a promotion. As noted above, the Claimant was not able, was not offered the promotion, and, therefore, did not accept the promotion.








This Board, after consideration of the 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 18th day of May 2004.