PUBLIC LA\VBOARI> NO. 7877


6ro1b.crbo,,d of Maintenance of \Vay )

li'.'rnployes Division - IB1" Rail )

C(Jnferetu."C )

)

and )

)

RN Sft" R:1Hway Company )


A WARD NO.14

CASENO. 14


NRA R - 00003-150319


1'"Tt<TKM F.l'\T OF CLAIM: Claim of the Sy.stem Committe.. of the Rrotbe ,h·oo d that:


( 1 ) T h.e

Canitr vioJcat d t.be Agreement ·wbe.n it :,cheduJed a Tra ck Subdep.trtmen(

Roster 1,R:u : t k A fon.·rn:u1 p<>siti on (#129"27) to a work week with restdays<>of t her

than S:iturday and Sunday beg.tolling.January 10, 2014 and con tin uing (Sy tcm J, ilc S-P -182 4-G/ 11-14-0160 RNR).


( 2 ) The CarrierviolatedtheAgreement when it scbedolc-.d a Track Suhd t'.f):1rtmne·2

Ro s te r ,1 Rank A foreman positi on (#12928) to a work week with rest days of other

than Saturday and Sl(od.ay beginning,January 10, 2014 an d con tin.uing (.S)s· h·m File

S-P-1825-;( /J I - 14-0161 ) .


(3) T b.e Cn rie r violated the Ag-rct•.m cn t whc.•n if s chc.·du fod a T rnck S0bdcpart11:1ent

Roster 1, RankA forenaan position (#12926) toa wor k week with t daysof ot her

l b :1nSa tu r day and Sunday beginning January10,2014 and tontinuing( yS

S-P -1826 -G/l l -14- 0l 6i).

-5etm Fi.le


( 4 ) As c onse(Ju.ence or th £ vio l:it lo n referr ed to in Part (1) aho vt .. a.uyc mp Joye

assig,ned co..;aid position shall ' ... receiveeight fu·m r.. pa y at the timeandon eh-a l f

rateforeach and t \'t rj ' Satnl"•l:.y workcJ conunenC'ing ..)auuary IO, 20t ..t( b( e da te

t h.e bidsd ose). \Ve furt her req uest that any .Fortman assigned to thisp os i tion

recetv£ t:igbc hoursscraigbt time p::t,y for £ach and everyl\foudayw, h.eu they are­

required to suspc·nd wor k, commencing J a.nua cy• 10, 2014. Tbb clami is to con.tin1Jc

untilsuch time as th£ position is properly a.s ig1:1ed ,1tith Saturday:.1.ud Sunday res1 days.'


  1. As a conse.pience of tbc "iol.atioo rderrcd toil1Part (2) aho,·e, any cmploye

    as igoedot

    said position shall '... receiveejgbt hours pay;u the timea:nd no

    eh- .Ja r

    ratefoteach and every Swrda,y, ·orked commencing January 10, 2014 (thedare the bidsclos.e} \Vefurther request that aoy(sic) as.signed to this pos ition receive eij!ht hou rs !'itr a ig h t ti i:ne pa y for each a:nd every Friday,whcothey arc .requircJ to

    suspen d w or k 1 commencing January lO 2014. Thisclaim is to contloue un1il suc.h

    1. im.e as the position ts prop£rfy assi ncd wirb Sahtnl:ty and Sunday rt.".Stda y. s'

      (6)A ..a. consequence of the violatioi:i referr ed to in Par 1 (3) abo,•c, any c•mploye

      assigned IOsaid position shaJI; .. . receive eight hours pay at the tim E: and o n e- ha l f

      image

      !'Lil No.7877

      Ca!ic No. 14

      Award No. 14


      rare foreach Saturday and Sui:id a y worked <'Otnmcncing.Jaouacy 10, 2014(t he date t.he bids dos .e.) We further requestthat any Foreman assigllcd to this position reccj\·e eight hourss:tr.1.iW,t time pay for ca(.'b and every Tu1.-sday a):1d \Ye.dne. day, when they are requittd tosuspend work, commc-ndnJ?January JO, 2014.Tbis cfaim is to continue until such time a,; the posit ion is properly a igo.ed with Saturda J ' and

      S1u:,d:1y ti...,;f da ·s.'


      OPINION OF ll OARD:


      PobJicLa ·-n Hoa.rd No. 7877, upoo the whole record l:I.Od all tl1e . cYiden«, fiods tbal the parties herein al"t Carrie.r a.odEmployees within the meaning of the R:tilway tabor Act,:.1s amended; that tbe Bond has jurl'!diction overthedi:;pute be-rein;:tnd lhatt h­ <'

      parti1.-s to the dips

      ute weregiveo. due notit."'e of the hc-..1ringand did participate thcniD..


      In rcndtrin; ourfinding.-., th e Boud hasconsider("([ only the argument and

      .ve idencera:i!tcd during tbc on· pr()pe rty haodliD.i? of this claim.


      Ou or a.bout J am.Ja ry 1 , 2014, Carrict adYer ti.st-dstveraJ foreman p-0.stiion s a..,;seven­ daya Wimage.ct k l)()sitio.os wit h rest daysothe-r than Saturday a.nd S u·nc.Jay . T he re . is .nodispute that tb<.-:,;e new positions had the same headqua rt ers and job duric$ ::iS they had historically ma inta in .ed. Thereisalso nodispute that tbt foreman positions prc\·iously workeda five day a weeks, cbed ulc nitb Saturday ltndSunday rest days.


      The Organization filed threeseparate daim:5,ybkh hal'e bee-a t-onsolid:ei.tcd herein. The clain'l!S:tssert lh:itt tbe Carrier improperly creatt.-d these(N)Sitions w i th restdaysother t h:m Saturday and Sunday. The Orga:ni:1.atiou COhlcnds that the position :1:re in fact

      assigned ::i.s .,n, e ( 5 ) days per l\'et-.kand arc oot filled or working on a seven (7) day per week

      basis. According t() the Organization, lhc Carrierviolated the.controlling Agreement h · quiring tbf. Claimant.$ to work positions 3.SS*1aed wirb rest day$ other tbaoSaturd:;,y :tnd Su"day. Further, theOrgaui7.a.tionasserts that Carri-er improperly required Claimants to suspend service on one or wore oftbeil" workweek days. In support of its po. ition,t he .

      Org:u:Uzation relies on R.o..le 24, whiC'b pr,widcs in relevant part: RULE 24. FORTY HOUR WORK \Vl,;EK

      1. SubjeC't t() the exceptions contaim.'.<I ill this Agree-men1, s WOl'k week of forty(40) hou.rs. consistingoffivc(5)daysofeight (8) hourseach,with two(2)conseculi\'C days offin each seven (7) ishereby ci,-tbalishcd. The l\'Ork weeks m:ty be staggered in accordance with the Company's opcntional re1c u.irement,;:. Sofar a.,(; practicable the d.:.ys off shall beSarurday and Sund3y. This work week ruleis

suhjcctto the pr()Yisions which follow.

•••

NO T F.: The e xp ressions •positions' and 'work, refer lo sen'icts, duties, or opentions oec !.».i:y to be pcdormed the specified numbe.r of days per week,


and not to th<: wo r k week ofind.ivicfua1 etnployees.

PL11No.7877

Case No.14

Award No. 14


D. J,.h t".-dayPo d tions - O u J>os itious tbe duties of which. can reasooahty be mcl in

five; (5) da.Js. tbe daysoffwill be Sa tu rd:ty and s ·und: ,y .


r .. S i-xday Posirions - Wberethe narurc of the work isSll.ch that cmplo yts. willb.e

nee de ds ix (G)day s each n·cek, Che rest <ls ·s will be ci-tber Saturday 3Ud.Sunday, or

Sunda.v and Monda.y.

.fi Sev.e r-t da y Positions-On positions ·hic,b are filled SCNco (7) days per week: ,ny two (2) consecutive days maybe the fest day:,. with the presumption in rnor of Sattirday and Sunday.


  1. Rc..gular RcHef A..,-<;ignmcnts


    ( 1 ) AH r oss ih1c regular relief 1tsi,:ign n:-tt n ts with fo,e (5) d.ays of work and two (2)c on secutive rt .$( days wilJ be established to do the wor-k neees..,;.ary on restda ys of a.,;s i umc.o.t.s in i:< (6) or .-.even (7) d:iy s en ·iceor comhination.i, theroof, <>X to perform relief wotk.on certain days and such types of other work tln oth-t r daysas m y be a.,;.-.igned. Reliefassign.menrs will uot be required (o havefive(5)daysof work per wttk.

    (2)As.si g» m ents for regular rtlie-f po.si-tious •n:ty on different daysinclude

    di.fftttnt starting times, dttties and work focations for:empl-0yes or the

    .samedassin thesame seniority di.-.trict,{>l"o\·lded th!;') take thestart ing

    time, dutitsand\\·,ork locations of theewploye or employes whom they urc relieving.


  2. Detiation frow Monday-Friday Weck- lf in positi,on.,or wotk c:dt'.nding ove.ia· peric'ul offive(S ) da y per week ao.Ol)(:n1tional problem arises which the Company contends caunut be met u.oder the pro\·bious ofSection D uf thisrule, aud rt.-quir:es that some Of$ucb e·Wl>loyes work Tue.'-day th.rough S:ttutday instead of Monday through Friday, and the empfoyt'$ contend the contr:1cy and iftbe1n:•rties fail to agree thereon, then if the conqumy Ut \•c rtheless put :such a..ss.ignment-. into tffc.ctt h.e dispute may heprocessed as a gr ieva.ncc. Qr claim under this Agreement.


TheOr g:mizarion ass,·rts that Ruic 24{A) ::10.d (D) arc cleat andunatnbigu.ous in proYidiog for Satw·day and Sunday as.- tdays when. positions ba\ •e duties which can re-asonably he met in five days. Con$istent with this Agreement language, the po itions

establi$bedberc i o have historicalI)' been a lgned l:l fi\'e-day workweek with Saturday and Sunday as restdays.The.Orgariiut.ion argues that Carrier ba.,; oot sbuwn any cblln.ge in

o ralion.'11l'.lf'c.-d to buJJeti.o thesepo.sitions·wJtborhtr thao Sarurday and Sunday as re-st days nor hasCar riel' established that the- duties of thcs.c positions cannot he md fo five

days. ln such 9 circum ta»ee, the 01'ganiz.a.tion points to the n1a.ny precedenat a·r ds on


tl1. iu,;

PLB No. 7877

C)lse No. 14

Aw rd No. 14

bj«:t which havecoocluded that Carriercannot,wtn;ome the hc.avy presurn.ptiou

1

1

lluH positions are to beassigned w<1rk week.."I consistingorfivedayS: with Saturday aod Su.oday as rC$t day$.See, PLB4-014, Cases 9, 10,11; SBA 1107 Aw::.rd No.1 (Eischen,

1999); Thil'd DivisionAwards 35594; 35805; 36055; 36722; 37049; 41561; l'LB7656,

Award 4 (Sti-ong:nin, 2014).


lo additi<m, the Or ; a niia tiou contends thal Rule24(H) requires <.:nr icr to cont:.1d

theO rgu.:

tiz.1tion llOd discus.., the issue if :!llopen:atioo:d problem :uiseswhich cannot be

metnn dc r R u le 24(D). No Sitter.opt by the Canie-r W:.t.$ made to contact the Organization piior toimplementing the positions at issue. The Organization argues that the first time the matter wasbrought to its attention wa when the po:o.it i ons were posted for bulletin.


In rcspon c. Carriet tontends Ihat itfully ('Omplied wiah 1hc provision uf the controlling Agreement. It argu, that Ruic 24(F) rtt ogni:.,es tbat stvcn-da) ' posi1iQns may

be creaacda. od any two const('ulive days m,a, be the l"t:St days. A SC\'Co.-day assignment can

beestabfo:,b.ed where, as in thi!t case, the-l"c cxi,;tsse-wm days of work. Onfi,,e ofl hQse .se.ve-11 days:the w,,rkis p<.r• form ed by the regular (seven-day) JK,sition/gang.,with the rt m _in ing two daysor wo.rk performed byib bulletined regular relitf crew in acct.1rdanee ith Rule

24 ( G .) }{'olc 24 allows it fo stagger work'n'ttks o as to maintain seven day :1 week covcrnge.


The Curlercontends that 1hcre is no agreement lan.guagc i.ol{ule 24 (F) or (G) fhat r equ ir e s it to sh()w any OjH rationa.l llC('tl. Even if such a sbowing is nettSsary! howev,er

Carrier asserts that ithasthern.ao.agerial right to dctermi.ne the eflicieo.t conducot f its

bus in c $.Track ml:lioteuance i.ssues req :uirc Carrier to rc:;pond on a $C\'Cn day perwet.k b.ui . F.qually ihlporiant,1be. r:1ct that there t_-. coverage a signed se,,cn_ day_s per wt. k is evidence in and of itselfthat thereis an opc·ratioual need; otherwise the C:1rriet- would

simply pay overtime rates: for occasional wurk instead of ps,yiagan :!dditionaJ 40 hoursof straight time pay to:m:1dditional employee.


Ca1't'ie.r recogni7.,es tha( RuJe24 (A) and Q>) are applicablewhen thereis a chan;c in theworkweeksituation,,.,·here a live-day assignment for oper:tt.ionaJ re.asons cannotbe pc.:rforrucd oo a Mo nday through Friday basis. fn th tsituation, Carri-er acknowledges it wouJd have to prove operational nc,-d to schednlc:1. changein the workweek ai:,d rest dya.

ll ere.,t b-t

positionsin qut:Stion arc regular seven-day assignments tocoverNc vco.-day

service rcqtd remen ts and their re-lief positious werecreated to relieve the refit d.ays of the seven-day assignm ent.;. Sin ce tbc Carrier may dc.-.ign:1te s eve n daysofwork where tbert .i.lt such11ecd1 it i.s not req u ir ed to in fo r m. tbe Organization befon.'"haod . In support of its position, Ca.rrier dtesa lio.eofc.a.se. which baw: rt.')lched tbe sameconclusion in i.milar facto.al circumstances. Tht-se prior awards, in Carrier's view, should be dumcd

cQntrolling in the instant ea-.c. See, e.g., Third Vh·i sion Award 21428; PLB 2960, Award 80 (Vernon, 1985) Appendi, KS.IIA, A ff•a rd 2:l (O'Brien, 1977).


The Board has rei"icwc-.d tilecon idcn1ble arbjrral pn.-eede-ut pr<widcc} by the JHtrties. It is clea r that wearc n(lt operating in uncbaned w:i:atc rs . No twi t hst:u:iding tbt holdingsfo someearlier ,:·as upo n wbkb the Carrier relies, the better reasootd »nd

PLBNo.i87i

C:ise No. J4

AwardNo.14

majority view has adhcr:t-d for decades lo the principles set forth in Special Hoard of

Adju.stment No. J I07, Awal"d No. 1 (Eischen) when intetprt:li.ngtbc FortyHour Work H.uJc:


Th t c c:trly Ca!'iCS L1id duwo the guiding principle, followed in all of the.bd ter ­ rea.soncd cases. decided in the Lut 40 years, that theJangua e appc:ui.ogin Rule l5(a) ltnd (b) crc:ttes a rthuttable presumption that exi Ling five-day operations

.sf:tfef d by posilions with a Monday-Friday Wc)rk.week and Satunfay-Sund.ay rest d:.iys s.ho1dd uot uoilateraUy be changed to s,e, cn-d:ty optr.ttions with other lhan Saturd:ty-Sundayrestday . A Carrier invoJ..'ing the langu»geof RuJcl 7(aa) n <l (d) to alter thissracus quo a11d j u.1if y irnpleme.111ing .m ch a change from (ive-day Monday through FridaypcH•it:ioos ro:seven day po!>itious With other than Satunby­ Su.oday rest days, hears rile burde.n ofi·e.butti ng that pttsuruption by producing dear andc o, n in cing evidence ()fnecc,.:-ity due to a material change of operational rc <1u.irt.mcnts, i.t. 1 a hona fideoperatfon:d need to mak.e the change_


Cun..trary to Ca ni t.l"''.$ positfot1, we are persuaded thitt Rule 24 cannot he property

i .n.te1·prcct d at thi.s point"in timeas authorizing the Carrier to uuifa.lcrally abofo,h historic:

J,i, e--ady pos.itions and to r sttblisb them assc,•en-day positions so »sto avoid the plain readingof Rule 24.The Agreement i clear that a Monday through Friday eight hour p-er clay work week i.,;; the contntcfua:Uy pn:..f·e rr ed schcdu.l<" Although deviatfo.n from the Mooday through Fridayschedule i.s permi tted, Ruic 24{A) nevertheless rc1c uir es a showing that therearc "op,,...ratiooal req uir c.meuts' which nei.-es.sitate the changeand,further, that jf is not"practicable" toh:rve.Saturday ahd Su.nday re" l days. Notably, the 11rt:su.mption in fa\'C'Jr of Saturday and Su.nday ro:t daysapplies equaUy to sevt.n-day po.sition uoder kule

24(F).


Thus, Carrier'sa.ssertiou that i.tnttd notestabfo,h any chabge in operational

l"equirem nis i.o; inco1:1sistcnt with lb.c language of!{ulc 24:tuJ the longUm·or cases

intc.rpreti.ng the .f:ir'o (y Hour Work Rulewhich require Carrier toshow operationa.1 neecs.sity in order tochllngc a Jong-t".-'ita bJishcd .Monday through .Fl""iday five,.day position with 8attu·day and Sunday restdays.so as to llrnvide seven...Jay coverage lYitb rt$ld11.ys

other than Satunby and Sunday.


Carrier' alternative argumem isthat track maiotenantc issue$ : and tbe need for seven- d :ty coverage rebut thepresumption in favoroftbe Monday tJirougb Friday workweek with rt>.st dafsonSatUJ·dal ' :...nd Sunday . In our ,·iew, howe,1cr, tbat argument is equally problematic, for rwo reasons. Fi.rst, tht·rc i.i; llOe"idtncc in the record tosupport th.e Carrier'.s position thatthel"t.' have been material modi.fic:-.1. tions in conditions wb.ich justifya change in wol"k chedules tb t have been in exis(e.nce for decades. The burden w:c,onthe Carriert<.> estabfo,h that point. In contrast t<.> Third Division 36999, where c.arricr introduced probati\-·e evidence that it wasunable to mett scn·icedc-m:tnds by the useof

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1>Vertime onw eekend !. and where 1hc d uties of the positions could uot re» om,bly he met on a Monday thro b Frid:.ty sc:-hedule nu substantive nidencc wasoffen..-d to support Carricr:s posit.ion in thhicase.

PI.R o.7877

Case No. 14

Award No. 14


Second: railro:tdi.ng has alway been a 24n operation. \ ViLhou t s uh tao ti1. tion to r c b ut . the pr es mnp tic:m of the Monday through .Friday"' V r k·-week with Sat'urcby and

Sut1day rest days,we:ltecompelled toconclude that"·hat Carrier is attemptiog to do is

n".arr:u1ge ·"'o r k sc hed ules of positions that were historically assigned five day .sen,.kc

Mon day through Friday to schedules that art .,;till five--day a week se.rvic.e buto ,c1 rlappni g

du:.':'$c posiriottS to prol'i.de seven day Co\' e.rage with rest daysofother than.Saturd:ty and Sunday. The effect is fo avoid the payment of ovc.·rtime on weekend-.. Tt bas been

cons i ">teo tyt est.1blishcd, however, that.avoidan ce. u( overtime p:tynu:nt.s for

Sa tu r day / Su nday work is not an operational necc,s$ity sufficient to on.-rcome rbe prtsumption th.atthe-t Xisting fi ve - da y opc1-;1tion s raffcd by p-O!iit.iou-" witb :t Monday through F1iday work week and Saturd ay- SUJ1da · re st days-"ho n.Id not be uniJ..atcr.1Uy

c hange d. Sec, e.g.Tf1ird Dh-ision A.wa rd i- 36722. \Ve therefore lind th::ltCarJ'ier &$.S-ertiOn

that thework was St'·- c n days ptr wct-.kworkisnot sufficient in light or1hc fact that tt.c

work hasp r e "i,o tsly been and cotltinties ro he perfonncd on a five day ptr week basis with

relief. As the 80:.1:rd s ta tt-. d in Third DivisionAward i'io.36722: "... tbe rec-ord in tl1i'i ca"-c s bo ·s t ha t be fore, during and after the di puted changeover by rh e Carrier, tbework

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p,cdormcd rem.aint.--d de facto:t five-d:,ty operation, despite the Carrier's unil.ater.1) de jun: decL1ration tbat... it would henceforth bescht.dulcd and rompeusa tcd 3Sa s.evcn- day

op t:ration."


Ba ed on the foregohig, we fiud that Carrier ,·ioJated RuJe24 of theA grt ..-.men t when itun i latera ll y changed the Monday through FridayworkweekwithSa turWyls :rnd Su n, fays dl'...,iguatcd .li- r('St<la.vi- to a workweek with restday 9f other thaoSaturday 11nd

Sum l y:, . As a remedy for the pr o\'en,iolation, the Carrier isdirected tocom usatc­

C fai r:n, n ts in an ani ou nt eq ua l tut.he difference between what they actually earned under tbt eo.otractuallyinvalid schedule aod "Whl:tt tbeywould haveearned but for the viola t ion of Ruic 24 andu ntil such timeas the positions are properly bulletined. Carrier shall

com pncu te the empfoy4)C=> :,u •rign c <.1 to the pu$itiun afret· the invalidchange; the difference.

betw een tbt overtitut andstraight ti.me rateofpayfor each bou·r worked on the fon ut r .

r e. l day conu nencing .J1nt 1l;,\I")' ro,2 014 . The Or i:i:ani7.a liun '.s reque:,,--t for additioM1srraig,ht

font d:unages for the lo!itwork opportunity".ishereby denied, consistent wit h the

reported ded!iio.os on thissu.bject.

PLBNo. 7877

c:.,.No. l4

Aw:trd No. 14



AWAJ{J)


'

'

CJairn sustained in accordancewith lhc finding$.

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?J=;;:mber

DiHt-d Jak1uary JS, 2019.

I ./I L,. ,!\ '-. _) • •:.,,:! ;

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ANN S. KENtS, Neutr.d Mcml,cr


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(=

(=

2Zac-hary Vot-gekl ""T

Organ.iz.ation Member



7



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