PARTIES TO DISPUTE:



STATEMENT OF CLAIM:









FINDINGS:


The carrier and employee involved in this dispute are respectively carrier and employee within the meaning of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.


This Board has jurisdiction over the dispute involved herein.

OPINION:



record shows that the Claimant was absent thereafter in July,

and numerous .days in August and September. By letter dated

October 24, 1977, the Claimant was notified of a hearing in

connection with his "habitual and chronic absenteeism."

As a result, he was removed from service. The Claimant asserts


UL health, Abstantiated and personallroblems. The
Organization asserts-.the-procedural defense of an improper
hearing and that the Carrier did not provide progressive
discipline.. All. such defenses fall upon barren gm and;
indeed, as a near employee the Claimant owed a demonstration
of his worthiness-instead of a persistent, clearly unsatis
factory record of-attendance. He admits to having been re- -
peatedly warned:-of the consequences of a continuation of
such untoward practices -- to na avail The Carrier has
a clear right to be able to expect regular attendance of
its employees;~.such was not the case here.

AWARD:

                            t

        Claim. is. denied-


                    4.

                    4.. ~..

            ,Tame P.. Scearce, Neutral Member


C. C... Edwards,, Carrier Member W. E. LaRue., Organization Member

Dated at a .T6 Autt r this / Z day of ; 198

-2-