Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
THIRD DIVISION
Award No. 37444
Docket No. SG-37169
05-3-02-3-129

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:
Form 1 Award No. 37444
Page 2 Docket No. SG-37169


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.




The Claimants were at all material times herein employed by the Carrier on various signal crews. Between November 21 and 30, 2000, the Carrier used an outside contractor. Allegedly, its workforce of Signalmen fell below 62 during this period.


The Organization's challenge rests on the parties' Memorandum of Agreement. The Memorandum of Agreement provides that the Carrier ". . . agrees to maintain a workforce of 62 signalmen . . . if, for any reason, the workforce falls below 62, all rights to use contractor forces . . . are suspended until the workforce again reaches 62 . . . ."


We find it unnecessary to resolve this issue because the Organization failed to meet its burden of proof. The record is devoid of any evidence as to the number of days and/or hours that the Carrier's workforce fell below the number set forth in the parties' Memorandum of Agreement. Under those circumstances, we are left with no choice except to deny the claim.




      Claim denied.


                          ORDER


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 22nd day of March, 2005.