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PUBLIC LAW l!OARJ> NO. 7877

Brotherhood of Mai11tenance orWay )

L·w ployes Division - UIT Rail )

Co·nfctenc.e )

)

and )

)

BNSFRailway Company )


AWARON0.15 CASl>N0 . 15


NRAR - oooo:;-1503 22


STATKMF.i\'T OF CLAIM: Claim of the System Committee of tl,e Brotherhood fbat:


(I) The C:trrie, r ·iol:tted the Agreetnc.nt wbc-n it sched uled a T1·ack Sub de par tm enr truck driver p,,,-ition (#15180) to a workweek with rest daysofO the r than Saturday

an d. Sunday beginni.ng J an uary lOt2014and conti.ouing (System FileS-P..1832-

G/U-14--0149 B.'<R).


  1. The Ca r·r ic r· viola ted the Ag rccm .(>n t" ' he n it scheduled a Track Subdepartmenl

    tl·uck driver position (#15178)10 a work week with re.stdaysof other than S:uurday and Su,,day beginning Jun.uary 10, 2014 nnd continuing (Systt.Jn fileS-P-1833- G/11-14-0150).


  2. Th e <..:,rrricr violated the A:rccmeut whco it scheduled a Tt-J.ck S-obdcpartme-nt

truck driver position (#15177) to a work we-ek with rest da)'Sof otherl h :Jn Saturday and Sunday beginning.Janua ry 10, 2014 and continui.ng (Syste_m FileS-P-1834-

(jfl1-14-0151).


( 4 ) As a con.sequcmce ofthe violation referred to in Put (1) above, any ,.-mploye as.signed to said po itioo sh11l.l ' ...r ece i,•c eight hours pay at the ti.rue and one-.half rnte for each and cvqy Sunday worktxl commencing January 10,2014 ((bl"d:ue tbe bidsdos e). We fu rth er req uest that any(sic) assigned to tbi.,; position receive eight

hourssrra.ight tinu: pay £ortacb andevery.Friday, when they a.re requil'M to

.u,; i;pen d wo r l(, commencing.January 10, 2014. Thiscl3irois to rontiD.ue untilsuch

Lime as the position is property a$.,;igoed with Sahu·day and Suoday restday s. '


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(5) Asa conseqoencc of thl•Viola tion referred tu in Part (2) ah1·>ve, any cmploye assigned tosaid position sh:tl•l ... recti\·e eight hours pay at the timeand one•half ratefor each and c,·ery aturday worked comn1enciog J1ro ua ry IO, 2014 (the.d:U t' the bidsclose). Wefurt her request that any tntrk ddve.r- assigned to this position rece iv e cigb.thour..!J.'1'raigbt time pay for each a.nd t-\'cry M.ond.ay, when they are

rcq-u ier d to !:iltspend work, tomm.enci.ng_ January 10,2014. This cl:tiro is to eootio.ue

un tilsuch timeas the posi.tion i proper!,· a.,;.,;igoed wifh Satu.rday and Sunda.\' rcltt

days. '


(G) Asa l.'Onsequencc of the viol:ttion refen:ed to in Part (3)aboV<.\ :m y ew plO)'>C

assigoi-.J to said position shall '...receive eight hou payatthetime and one-half

PLB No.7877

CasL·No. JS

Awa rd No.15

ratefureach Saturday )l:nd Sunday wo.-.kc:d comn1cnciog January10,20J4 (thed.ete

tbe bidsclose)·w. e further requt;,,t thatany truck dri\'Cf assigned to this position

receive eight hol.lrs stn ight titt1c p:1y foT c:!ch and-cvel)' Tut.Way and \\ledne-sday, when fht..'Y are rc<Juired to susp<-nd ·wor commeucing January 10, 2014.This claim is to continue untilsuch time a.,; tbe position is properly assigned with S:tt uJ d· ay i.lnd

Sundti)' rest days.•


OPJN[ON OF llOARD:


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.Public l.,.:1w 8011.rd No. 7877 , upon the whofo record and all the cvideoce, finds that tbe parties herein a.re Carrier and Empfoyt".C..S withitt the me-a.bing of rl1c Railway L:Jbol' Act, as mend,:d; that theBoard has jurii-diction ovc.r the di'iputehe.rein; and tbar the pai1it.S to the disputeweregi,ver> due notice of the hcariog a.t1d did participate tbcrcio..


Jo rendering our findi11go.1,,; the Board has considered o·nly the argumcots and

evidence raised du.ring 1hcon-property bandli.o.g: of lhi:sclaim.


On or about.January 1 2014, C:urier ad,•crtisedseveral ti-uck driver positions as scv e.o.da ya week po.sitions witb rest daysother th:i.o Saturday and.Su. nday. There isno di!$pute th:tt these new posifo,o.s had Lhcsa me. he:tdquarter:sand job duties a.. they had

h si to ·.1i ca ll y maintained. There is also no dispute that thetruck driver positions previously

worked a fiveday a weekschedule with Saturday aod Sunday rest day.s,.


The. Organization filed threeseparatf-t Jaitnswbicb have been consolidatedhe re in.

T h.e d.1ims 3$:sert that theCnrierimproper ·cre-atcd these pu..;itions. with restdayother

tha.n Saturday:ind Sunday. The Organiz:uion conttnd that thepositions arc in fact

ass gi oe d as five(5) day per'f\"t:ek :1nd a..-c not filled or workingon a se.vt.1t (7) day per week

bas si. Accord ing to the Organization, the C:.rrier viohued the control.ling A_greeou.m by

r quirinK th Cfaimant$ to....o. J'k p-u.sitfon 3..$ 4;.ul"<l with res,daysother than Saturday and Sunday. F'urthcr, tbe Org:1nization :.ssercs that Carrier im.prope r1yrequired Claima11L to suspend service on oneor moreof theirworkweek days. Jnsupport of its position,. the Organization rd .ic-..s on Ruic.24, whi c b provides in. r ele,•anL part:


RULi':24. H>RTYliOUR WORK WEEK


  1. Su b ej c t to the.ex(:epti011 contained io this. r<'1!ru.eut,a work.week of forty (40) bou r-S1 consistin_g of five(5) days of eight (8 ) hour!" u cb, with two (2) consecutive daysoffin each seven (7) i hereby t labUshed. The work weeks may be

    stagg,cn.-d lo ac-corcbnc-e·with the Co'!npan.y's operational requirements. Su far as

    practic»-ble t.bedaysoffshall l:,eSaturday aod Sunday. Thiswork week ruleis

    stibje-ct to the pn'wisions.w..hich foUow.

    NOTE: The cxpressiuni; ' position:,:' and •work' refer to scn·Jets, dotics, or

    operalion.s nttessi:ary to be pe-rformed the ..;pccified number of d, ay tii per week,


    and not to the work wtekorW.dividu:tl empJuyees.

    Pl.8 No.7877

    Case No. 15

    Awud No.15


    n. Five- day rm,itions- On positfoos the:·dutitt ofwhich c.ao reason:.bJy be met in frvc(5) dayS: the d.:tys off will be Sa tur day and Sunday.


    K Six-dayPos it i o .os - Where the i:rnturc of the work issuch th.at empfo) ' es ll'iJI he nct.-ded six (6) d.ay.s each· week, the rest days will bt titherSaturday andSun day, or s· uod ay and Monday.


    1. S elt'n --dya Positions - Oo positions which are filltd seven (i) days1,crweek any

      two (2)co n.,;ec uti-·t days may be the restda'.\'S with the prc.">om1>tion in fa ov r of

      Sa l'urday and Sunda y.


    2. Regular Relief Assignmencs


      ( J ) All possihlc1·egular relierassignments with 1h,c (.5) days o.f work and two

      (2) cousecuth •e rt$t days will be e.stahlished to dQ tbeworko. e cessary on f't'S(t d:.tys of ai-siguments in six (6) or Sh 'cn (7) day service or combination thereof, or to ptrfon:u relief work on certain daysandsuch types of other workori otherdays:1.s may beassignc:d. Relief a.,;sigument:o; willnbt be yt,quired to havefive.(5)days ofworkper week.

      (2) Assignments fo:r regular rt"llefpositions may on differentclays include different t,,"t.\rttng times, dutif$ and work Jocatfons for cmpJoyes of the

      . ,;ame cll:t :S io the sameseniority district, provided they take the.sutrting

      time, dufiesand \l'urklocations of du: Cll\ploye or empfoyL-:s who»J 1hcy urc re.lic,•ing.


    3. Oe\'ialion from .\1und ay•Fr iday Weck - lf in positions or work exltndil)go ver u periud of five(5) days per week an ope:r:Hional problem :1rises which HieCo O)pany

cou tcn d. s can nut be wet under the provisions ofSection D of thisr ule.,aud requires

that oweorsucb employc.-s work TUtsd ay throujtb Sarurday in tcad of Mom.b · through firidlty, a.nd rbc cmploycs contend the contrary and if the parties faU to ap:n"cC thereon, tben if lhc company ne.vetthd.cs.s put such assi nments intod fctc, the disputemay he processed llS a g-rie,·ance or cl:Jiw under this Agreement.


The Organiz:dion as.«-r(:,; th.at Ruic.24{A ) and (D) arc dl".,tr and uo:unbiguous lo providing for Sarurday and Sundayas rc. t dayswhen positions ha,·e dutie wbkb tan

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rcason:tbly be met in fo·cdays.Cont•istent with this Agreement language

1

the positions

esrablished foi:-t.he trt:Jtk d rive.rs hcrcio fuh·c historically bee.n assigned a fi w-day work week with Saturday and Su.nday a. rest da_ys. The Ot'ganization argu.es that Carrierbas not shown any c.hange in operntion.al need to bulletin these positiohs withot ht-r thao

Saturday and S,wday a:s restdays n()r bas Carrier e.stahlisb.ed that theduticsorthese

p os it ions carinot he met i.nfivedays. In such a cit·cums:ta.nce, tbt Org an

1·.u ioo point tothe

PLHNc1. iSn Case Nu.15 Award No. 15

many precedent.:nrnrds on thissubjecl which h.a.vc ondudcd th.at C:trrier cannot overcome the heavy pn.-sumplion tbnt po.sition src to bea.ssjgned work wetk-.s consisting of fi\'cdaysw i t h S atu rd ay 3.DdSuoday.t., rest days.See, PLB 4014, C:tSt>.S 9, J 0, 1 l; SBA11 0,7 AwardN.o 1 ( Ei <h:. en, 1999); 'fhird Divi'iion Award. 35564; 3S.,05; 3605=';36n2;37049;

41561; Pl,B7656, Award 4 (Strongoi.n, 2014).


In addition, tbeOr :u:,jzatfon conte.nds that Ruic2.t(H) re.quires Carrier to contact the Org»o.ization aod discuss the i!..-;u.e if an operational problc.m arises which cannot be roct under Rule 24(D). No attempt by the Ca rrier wasmade to co.otact the Organization prior tOim p lemen ting the positions at issu1•.. The Or *ni7...:ttionargues that the first1jm e t h.e m:.ttter W:tS bro\Jgbt to its attention wa.s wbe'tl tbe positioo.s ,Yert .i,o.sted for b ulle ti.n


In n.-.sponsc, Carrier contend that it fo11y com p lied n·it b the provision of the

C(n) .trolling Agreement. ft a.rgu.es that R.ule 24 ( F) recog>:,V.cs thatst vcn-da y p-0.sitions may be creattd:mdany two<"Onsc..-cu.tn·e d.1:ty.s may he tbe re-st days. Ascveo -da y afssignmt-.nt cai:a

b.e C!itabJishc..'O·'"'hen:-, :1s in thi.,; case, there existse,•e.odays M work. On fiveof thoseseven

day .s, the wurk is-,pi: rfor med by the regular(sh·cn-day) position/g ang, with the remaining twodays of work perfol'wtd hyits bulletined regular relief crew ill accord.anC"e with RuJe

2 4 (G .) kule 24aU, o \ s it to stagger the w(1rk wet k.li of tru<"k <lrh-crsso a,., to maintain seven

day a week coverage.


Tl.JeCa r r i e r con te nd s that thereis noagreemenl laoguagc in Rule 24 (F) or( G ) that

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requires it to show any operational need.l!:vcn i.fsuch ashowing is necessary, howeYtr, Ca rtier assert"t h :!t it has tbe m a nageria l t ig ht to dt.tre. min the t ffid eot cond uct of itt bus ine.-;s Track mainte.nance issue$ require Carrier to respond ona :-.evenda )· per week

basis. F.qu..'llyl i m po rtant, the-fa<"t that thereiscol'eragt.a-.. ign ed s cveo daysJ.>erweek h:

evidence in and of itself tfo11t there i... ao operatioo.31 need; otherwise the Carrier would

siJnply pay vo ert ime rate.s for oecasio n:..l ,York in:,;ft' -id of1 >a y i ng au additional 40 hours of

strnight lime pny lo :m ad d itfona) cmph1 ·« .


CarritJ' recog.nizes lhat Rule 24{A) and (D):11.re appJjcable wbe.n thereis a chaoge in

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tbe workweeks-i ruation, where :.t fi ve - d a y assignment.foroperational re-a,.;usn. cannothe

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pcrfon:ucd on a .Munday through Friday b:11sis. Jn th a t s itu a rfon, C:ur,ier ack.o.owledg.cs it would have to pro"c operational need rn.sched ule u ehange in lhe workwtc-k 3Dd re$t days. Here, the position.sin question are regular , c •en-d ay assignnH:nts to co,·tr se,'c-nday

scn i e<" rec1u.iremencsa ud the i r r elief pos ifioos we.re crc:11ted to r-t lic, ·e the rci..t tl.:tys of the

n en -day 3.$.Si_gnn u: n . Sin<"e the Carrier m:iy designateseven daysofwork where tJu rt l$

u.ch need,i t is not n,quired to inform the O rga ni:za1jon befon .ba nd . fo support ofits

P-OSiotin, Ca r r.ie r cite..-; :t lineofcases which h3 ve reached thesameconclusion in .similar factualc ir c u ms tal1c c .-.. Theseprior awards, in C..\rrie.r' s" iew, should be deemed controlling, in tbe instant case.Set.,e.g., Third Division Award 21428; PLB 2960, Aw:ud 80 (Vrenon.

1985)Ap pendi K SBA, Award 2.1(O ' Brien , 1977).


The Boa rd b.as re viewed the co n. idera b le a rbttra J p-rtct..'tlco t pr o v id ed by the

p: trties. lt is dear that we are n()l operating in uncharted w:tters. .'fotwithstanding the

PLB No. 7/n7

C21se No. 15

Aw:u·d No. 15


holding iosome t.at-licr ca..i.e , u.pon wbkb theCarrier relies, thebe t. ttr r •sontd and majority view has adhered for decades to the principles set forth in Speciallfoai:-d of Adjull'"frnem No. 1107, Award No. J (F.iscben) when interpreting the F-011)·Hour \Vork

Rule:

Tbe-se c::irly ca cs L1id d<1wn the guiding, prindp1c.followed in all of thebe tte­r

rt tsont-d casesdecided_in the last40yt·itrli, that the t.1ngu:1g_e a pl H: .:'n ing in Rtde

f 5(a) and (b) creates a rc-hltttablc presomption tlaat cx.isth ,g five-day opera.lions staffed hyp osiiion s with .i: Monday-Frida_y work wt-ck and Saturdya- S unday rest daysshould not UJ1ilatentlly be changed to sen 1a-d:ty opehltions with other th21n S:tturday-Sunday rest d:rtys. A Canier invoking the language of Rule17(a)and (d) t() 21lter tMsstat-os <JUO and justify i.wplementiog such a change fron1 five-<lay

Mo1Jday through Fridayp< itiotas to sevtt1-day positions with other than Saturday­ Sunday n-stday , bears the burden ofrebutti.ng that presumption by producing. dc:.r andconl'itH:ingevidence of necessity due to a material change ofopcratiotial reqttiremtnts,ie.,a bona fideoper.oionaJ ·need to make thethao.ge.


Contm. t) ' to Carrier's posirioo, wt a.n· persuaded that RuJe.24 cannot be properly

interpreted at tbi point in timeas authorizing the Carrier tounilaterally abolishh i :5to ric f,i\ o-day positions and tor t-establish them a.-. se\ · en --clay position:; so as to3 \ ' 0 id thep. la in readingof Rule24. The Agrccmenr i.,; cle-a.r 1hat a j\•t 011day tbroug,h Friday eight hourper daywork w«.kis the eoutrac:tuallypreferred sche<lule. Although de,iatfon from the

Monday through}·riday schedule is perntitted, Ru.le 24(A) nevenheh;ss requiresa sbowiog that Chere arc '' op e ra tional requirements" which necessitate tbe changeand, fuxt her, thatit isnot"pi:-acricable" to hneSaturd:,y a·nd Sund.a · rest days. Notably, the prctiumption in favor of S:,turd.ay and Sunday rest days :tppUes equally to seven-day positions undet' Rulc-

24(Ji).


Thus, Car-rier's a.,sertion thatit ntt."<l 11otestabU.sh any ch::tog:e in operatioru•I requirements is incon i ,c. t with lhc langu.rigc of Rule24 and the lungli.oe of ca.st."S interpreting lhe Forty Hour Work RuJe whkb requ.irc Carrier (oshow operational

nce essi f) ' io or der to change:1 loug-establidat'tl M ond a y lhrough Friday rive-da y position with Sarurd: y a.ml Sunday restdaysoastoprovide SC'ven - d ay <:overage ,;vitb re.st days othe-r than Sarurday andSunday.


Carder'sa lternavti. e argwu nt is tlHtl t rJ- c,-.k ruai ntcn:.oct.i ttt'-S and theneed for

sevcu -dya coverage rebut the pl:"eSumption in fa.\·or of the Mrmday ibrollf!h Frid:ty

work"ll'etk with r t days o·nSaturday and Sunday.1nour vim' , howeYer, rhaf arguruent is tqu.aJJ.y problematic., for two rc:1sons. Fil'st, lhtrcisnoe.videncein ther«o. rd (() support the

Carr ie, r position thatthet(·have b-ttn material modific:-aCjon,o.in co ndi toi n s which justifya

ch11.oge in work s<:bt-duJes that have been in existence for decades. The burden wa:s on the Carrier toestablid1 that point. f.ncon tnt s t toThird Division 36999, where Carrier introduced probative evidence th.at it was u.nabfo to meetsen,ice dewands bythe useof onrtimeon weekends and where the dutit-s of the.positions could oot rea..;onably be met on a Monday through Friday schedule, no suh t.:u1til'eevid c.ncc was offered l() support

Carrier's position in this c-a..;t-.


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PLB No.78n

C•se ]l;o. 15

Award No. 15


Second, railroading has always b«n a 24n opcratiotJ. Without.1,ub.stantiation Lo rebut tbeprC..'iumptionof the Mondaythrough Fridayworkweek with Saturday and Sunday rest day.'i, we are compclled to conclude that what Carrier is attempting to<lo ls rearr,.ngeworkschedol ofposilioos that were historic.ally assigne<l frvcdayserv ice

'lno day through Frida)' losc:hedulc.o; that arc.still frve-day a weeksen·icc but overlapping thesef>Oisitions to provide vcn dayrovt.--rage with n.-stdaysofother thabSaturdayabd Sun da y. The effectis to avoid the paymentof overtime on weekends. It has been

c onsics cn tl· esta b,fo hcd, bo wc,•cr, that a,•ojd a nce of overtimepayments for Saturday/Sundaywo.rk is nM au operationalnecessity i;uffic.ient to ovcrc.omc Lhc presumption that thec.Jisting five-day opcr-.ttioustaffed by posi(jon.s with a I\fond:,y

t hroug h Fliday workwu .k aod Saturday-Sunday rest daysshould notbe unilaterally

changed. S«, e. g. Third l>ivi fon Awards 36722. We tberdore find that <.:arricr's asset'tion that theworkwa...S<."•\ cn days per weekworkisnot sufficient in light of the fa.ct that the

work ha.;, previously hecn and continues to hepei·formcd on a fiveda) ' P<'J' we-t k basis with

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relief. As the Board stated in Thi.rd Divi i<m Award No.36722: "... the record in thiscase shows rbat before, <luring auJ afterthe di.'iputed-cbatJgeuver by the Carder, thework pcdoJ'me<l remaineddefactoa fo1 e-day opt-ration,despite the Carrier's unilateral de j1.1.re

declaration tbat...it ·ould henceforth be scheduled and compensated a-a. operation."

seven-day


Based on the forcgoinwefiod thatCarrier violated Rule 24 of (he Agreemetll when it ttoilattntllychanged theTrack Subde.partme.ot t1·uck dri,·er position.,; Monday (hrough Friday work"l e,:k with Saturdays anJ Sundays designated a.s rest d:-•ys toa w o rk week with rest days ofother than Sah:.rda)' and Sunday. Asa remedy for the proven

\iolation, th. e C:urier is Jirccted toe<,mpensate Claim:1nts in an amo1wt equal to the difference between what they :tctually earned under the contractually lo.validschedule and whatt he · would haveearned hut for th,e. •iulation of Ruic 24 and t:Jnlil.sucb ti.mt. a.-; the po.sitions a properlyhuUP.1ib.cd. Carriersb$l)J com peh $:. l·c the ClllJ)IOye a.s..1igncd ro the position!; after theinvalid change thediffcrcoce between tbc overtime aod straight time rateof pay for eacb hourworked on the fon:uer re.st dayscommencing January 10, 2014 .

The O rga.ni7..ation 1s request for additional straight time damages for the "lostwork

opportunity' is hcrthy denied, consistent with the reported ckcisions on thissub.iect.


AWARD


Claims$l'u 1.tlned in accordancewith tbe. Fio.dings.


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,; -£

PI.R No. 7877

C:1sc No.15

Awa rd No. 15

, j. "t- t'._',.. a ,..<. ...



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c eenan

·arricr Me-.nbcr


Oa1t:d J anua ry 18, 2019 .

/ 1 ( ,.... ' '

Al'<1ii S. KF.NlS, Ne' urral Member



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