' NMB CASE NO. 138



                  PUBLIC LAW BOARD NO. 4-150


PARTIES TO THE DISPT : T ':

L-N70NPACIFIC R T~.LROAD CONL°.-~N-C,Vesten Region)

      -and-


BROTHER'-IOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE HNG--\,-zERS

ST STATE-.M-E'-\47 OF CT

      Appealing the Up grade Level 3 Discipline assessed to EngineerR. D. Hoverson and request the expungement of disc: :z: !li- as <-essed and pay for any and all time lost with all seniority and vacation rivhts restcr°-d unimpaired. Action taken as a result of formal investigation held on Oc:ccer --. 1999.


OPLN-ION OF BO ARD: MOP P. T. ~-;~:and sir: ed Claimant with a Notice of Investigation dated October 1-1, 1999, stating, in pertinent pa.:


      The purpose of this investigation is to develop :he facts and determine responsibility, if any, in connection with while you were emp:c':ed s =:.ginger on the W-P-61, (RE31 Board) at VIP 290 (LaGrande),Subdi·:isionsL~-Grande(=5,-)azcuntington(310)youallegedlyfailedtocomplywith instrucdomdirectmgyoutommmiz°- a~s:nca omworkandmeettheemploytrentrequirementsof your assiznment issued in conference ::_.h me on May 17, 1999, and subsequently confirmed with letter dated May 13, 1999. Your work'-;s;c; : =cm February 9, 1999 to Nlay 10, 1999, and monthly calendars "from May I, 1999, to April '::; 1999 were reviewed at this conference. In addition, your alleged continued failure to protect empio%trent andcompiy with above instructions by excessively absenting yourself from service as noted on ,cur work history between dates of June 29, 1999, and September 27, 1999, while employed -s Engineer with the Union Pacific Railroad may indicate possible violation of Rules 1.13 and 1.:5 of -u.e Union Pacific Rules, effective April 10, 1994, and Rule 1.15 of the Union 2acifc Revised S.: ste.-.. Special Instructions, effect 0001, October 25, 1998.


Following formal investigation. Carer found Claimant guilty as charged and assessed a
Level 1 Upgrade penalty but, since Claimant was already at Level ?, his discipline was "upgraded"
to Level 3 and he served a 5-day suspensicn wit-cut pay. Without addressing the merits of Carrier's
determination of Claimant's guilt, we re-: erse --is disciplinary action. The Organization made out
a prima facie showing that the Notice of Disc'iine of October 14, 1999 violated the 10-day notice
requirement of Section 3 of the System A==ement-Discipline Rule. Bare assertions that MOP
Variand was on vacation from October --"'J. 1999, did not effectively refute that showing and
Carrier declined repeated requests from : =e Cr_=zation to produce evidence of when, how and by

        La No. V Y,ro AWARD NO. 138

NMB CASE NO. 138 UNION CASE 99070 COMPAi~TY CASE 1203684


whom the information regarding Claimant's alleged attendance irregularities was transmitted to NIOP Varland.

A`V_ARD

1) Claim sustained.

2) Carrier shall implement this Aw and within thirty (_ 0) days of its execution by a majority of the Board.

Dana Edward Eischen, Chairman

    Ilk

Union

Dated at Spencer. New York on March 9, 2002

Company Member