Form 1 NATIONAL RAILROAD ADJUSTMENT BOARD
THIRD DIVISION
Award No. 41564
Docket No. MW-41424
13-3-NRAB-00003-140203

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

(Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division
( IBT Rail Conference
PARTIES TO DISPUTE: (
(Union Pacific Railroad Company

STATEMENT OF CLAIM:




Form 1 Award No. 41564
Page 2 Docket No. MW-41424
13-3-NRA]3-00003-100203

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.




The evidence establishes that the Claimant sought to displace a Truck Driver Foreman with less seniority on Gang 9074. The Carrier refused the displacement.


According to the Organization, the Claimant possessed both the seniority and qualifications to perform the work of a Truck Driver Foreman on the production gang. In support during the handling, the Organization submitted a statement from the Claimant that provided in pertinent part:


Form 1 Page

Award No. 41564
Docket No. MW-41424
13-3-NRAB-00003-100203

MANAGING OF THE BUDGET FOR THIS WORKGROUP.

HAD ASKED ME IF I KNOW HOW TO PERFORM THESE DUTIES I ADVISED HIM THAT I DID NOT. HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT HE WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DISPLACE HIS FOREMAN."


The Carrier replies that, although the Claimant has the seniority, he does not have the qualifications for the position and Rule 21 clearly requires that both seniority and qualification can be considered. In support of the position that the Claimant was not qualified, the Carrier points to the email statement of Haverstick to Labor


~tions personnel dated February 12, 2009, which states:


The Organization counters that the Carrier is requiring qualification outside the class. These additional qualifications are not contemplated by the Truck Foreman position and are an attempt to thwart seniority with special qualifications. The Carrier countered that the qualifications are within the scope of Rule 6, wherein it states:



The Claimant's statement indicates that he was assigned as a Truck Foreman for the first half of 2005. The Carrier does not dispute that the Claimant has previously performed the duties of a Truck Foreman when in that assignment. However, Manager Haverstick's statement also indicates that the Claimant stated that he could not

Form 1 Page 4

Award No. 41564
Docket No. MW-41424
13-3-NRAB-00003-100203

perform the requirements of the position including requisitioning material,

drivers, manage budgets, and schedule trucks and train drivers. The Carrier argues that it did not violate the Agreement because the Claimant indicated that he could not perform the required duties. The Carrier has the right to maintain certain qualifications for the assignment so long as it does not conflict with the Agreement.


The Organization does not deny that the Claimant stated that he could not perform the duties described above. Rather, the Organization maintains that the duties were improper for the assignment. The Organization argues that the Carrier was simply adding job duties in an effort to shortcut the seniority Rules.


The Board carefully reviewed the record evidence and finds that the Organization failed to prove a violation of the Agreement. The Claimant stated that he could not perform the qualifications of the assignment. The Carrier was not acting in an arbitrary or capricious manner when it denied the displacement. The Carrier can consider seniority and qualifications for positions. The Organization failed to produce sufficient evidence to substantiate its argument that the Carrier's qualifications discussed above were improper.


The Board finds that the Organization failed to meet its burden of proof. Accordingly, the claim must be denied.


Claim denied.

AWARD

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 18th day of March 2013.