Y
PUBLIC LAW BOARD NO. 5604
Case No. 6
Award No. 6
Parties To Dispute: BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD COMPANY
Statement of Claim:
Claim of North Platte Engineer T.M. Maliszewski for an
additional basic day, automatic release, when he boarded his
train at South Morrill west of Mile Post 162.1 on November 17 and
November 25, 1993 and December 30, 1993.
Findings:
This Board, upon the whole record and all the evidence,
finds as follows:
That the parties were given due notice of the hearing;
That the Carrier and Employees involved in this dispute are
respectively Carrier and Employees wizhin'the meaning of the
Railway Labor Act as approved June 21, 1934;
That this Board has jurisdiction over the dispute involved
herein.
The material facts which led to she instant claim are not in
dispute. On November 17, 25 and December 30, 1993, the Claimant
was operating as an Engineer in Interdivisional (ID) pool service
between South Morrill, Nebraska (far terminal) and North Platte,
Nebraska. On each date the Claimant was transported by the
Carrier westward from the South Morrill terminal to Mile Post
162.5 where he received and took charge of his eastbound train.
The Claimant was instructed to operate his eastbound train
from MP 162.5 into and out of the Sough Morrill terminal. The
loaded coal train had been left at MP 162.5 by a Chicago and
Northwestern Railroad crew. The Claimant complied with the
Carrier's instructions and submitted penalty claims allegedly for
performing short turnaround service beyond the established limits
of South Morrill, Nebraska. He cited 3LE Schedule Rule 71 in
support of his claim.
1
r
_ Pr,B 5504
CASE NO. b
AWARD
NO. 6
BLE Schedule Rule 71 provides as follows:
RULE 71. AUTOMATIC RELEASE. On arrival at
terminals, engineers are automatically
released; and when used again a new day will
commence, except as provided in Rules 4 and
22.
The organization asserts that when the Claimant was required -
to take charge of his eastbound road train west of the South
Morrill terminal limits then operate into and out of the terminal
he performed short turnaround service prior to his road trip.
This Board agrees with the Organization's contention.
We find Rule 71 clear and unambiguous. Under Rule
71,
once
Engineers arrive at terminals, they are automatically released.
Rule 71 expressly provides that when 3ngineers are used again a
new day will commence for which they are entitled to an
additional day's pay. The exceptions to Rule
71
set forth in Rule -
4 and Rule
22
of the BLE Schedule Agreement were inapplicable to
the Claimant on the claim dates subject of this dispute.
This Beard agrees with the Organ '_zation that the Award of
Arbitration Board No.
517
established MP
x62.1
as the west
terminal limits at South Morrill, Nebraska even though these are
not the switching limits at this terminal. Section 3 of the Award
of Arbitration Board No.
517,
which re-arranged the existing -
interdivisional (TD) service on the North Platte to South Morrill
ID run in 1991, provides, in pertinent part as follows:
3. Miles of Run --Crews working in this
Interdivisional Service will be a=lowed the _
following miles:
Between North Platte and Nc=thport - 122 miles
Between North Platte and So. Morrill - 166 miles
via Gering
Between North Platte and So. Morrill - 268 miles
via Egbert
Note 1: Mile Pole
162.1
at South Morrill will function as
the arrival and departure point at that location
for trains operating from/toward the direction of
Egbert . . . .
Since MP
162.1
demarcate the west terminal limits at South
Morrill when the Claimant was required to pick up his road train
west of these terminal limits then operate back into and out of
the South Morrill terminal he was entitled to another basic day
in accordance with the clear and unambiguous terms of Rule 71.
2
. I-
Orr
PLB 5604
CASE NO. 6 -
AWARD NO. 6
This Board recognizes that Public Law Board No. 2627 reached
a different conclusion in its Award No. 1?. However, the facts in
that Award are somewhat different than tose now before us. And
in any event, we are of the opinion. tat Public Law Board No.
2627 ignored the plain and mandatory _aac--.gage of BLE Rule 71
(then Rule 76).
The Carrier argues that the work performed by the Claimant
on November 17, 25 and December 30, -993, was expressly permitted -
by the 1964, 1971, 1986 and 1991 BL5 National Agreements but this
Board respectfully disagrees. In this case, the claimant is not
asserting that he performed yard wo=k in addition to his road
trip. Nor is his obligation to pick up an over-the-road train
from a connecting carrier or to perform incidental work at issue.
In our view, none of these BLE National Agreements negated Rule
71 on this property which clearly provides that Engineers are
automatically released upon arrival at terminals.
This Board empathizes with the Carrier's dilemma since due
to yard congestion and insufficient tracks at South Morrill
trains arriving from the Powder River basin must occasionally be
yarded just west of MP 162.1. Nevertheless, BLE Schedule Rule 71
is clear and unambiguous and must b2 applied as it is plainly
written. If Rule 71 is to be changed .t must be done through
negotiations with the organization.
For all the foregoing reasons, the instant claim must be
sustained.
Award: · Claim sustained.
The Carrier is ordered to make the within Award
effective on or before thirty (30) days from
the date hereof.
Roberc~ M. O'Brien, Neutral Member
d~
Q~t
Pon Dea_^., .ployee Member
Lynn. A. Lambent, Carrier Member
Dated:
3