"In the event a carrier plans to contract out work within the scope of the applicable schedule agreement, the carrier shall notify the General Chairman of the organization involved in writing as far in advance of the date of the contracting transaction as is practicable and in any event not less than 15 days prior thereto."

On June 5, 1987 the Carrier wrote the General Chairman of the organization stating:

"This will confirm our telephone discussion on May 26, 1987, at which time you were notified, pursuant to the provisions of Article IV of the May 17, 1968 Agreement, of the Carrier's intent to contract out the following work at the Division Office Building at Newton, Kansas.

Replace all windows in building and remodel second floor, including insulation of roof and exterior walls, and installation of new ceilings, new partitions, new floor covering, new restrooms, new cabinet work, etc. Miscellaneous work in other areas will also be included.

The approximate starting date of the aforementioned work is June 15, 1987. It is expected that the work will be completed on or about April 1, 1988. Approximately 6,000 man hours will be involved in the performance o_ the work.

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The Organization claims the contracting out violated the Agreement and that fifteen (15) named Middle Division B & B Employes should be paid equal proportionate shares at their rate for the hours worked by the outside forces.

The Carrier denies the work is exclusively reserved to Claimants

3 under any practice, principle or rule. In the handling of this claim on the property in support of its contention, the Carrier pointed to Third Division denial Award 19494 which involved the same parties and rules.

The Organization points to Rule 1 of the Agreement which refers to B & B Foremen, Mechanics, B & B Paint Foremen, Painters and Paint Helpers. It also refers to Rule 2, Seniority, which mentions B & B Foremen, Assistant Foremen, Mechanics, B & B Paint Foremen, Painters and Paint Helpers. The organization also points to the Wage Appendix which sets forth a rate of pay for the B & B classifications in Groups 1 and 2. Further, the Organization contends that the work herein described has been customarily and historically performed by the Carriers B & B Employes.

In the Organization's view, the work at issue is clearly encompassed within the scope of the Agreement with references contained in Rule 1 and 2 and therefore no proof of practice is necessary.

In agreement with the Carrier this Board finds the references in Rule 1 and 2 to be entirely general in nature. Numerous Third Division Awards have held that when the rule relied upon is general, as in this case it is the organization's burden to establish that employes it represents have performed the work historically and customarily on a system wide basis.

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