PUBLIC LA\V BOARD NO. 7877
Brutberhood of.Maintenance of \Vay )
Jo:rnploye$ Division - IBT Rail )
Confe.rence )
)
and )
)
BNSF'R.ai.hvay Com))aoy )
A\VARD NO. 16
CASEN0 . 16
NRA8 - 00003-150323
STATEMENT Of Cl,AIM: Claim of the S)'slcm Committee of the Brotherhood !hat:
(t) Thec rJ'ierviolated the Agreement when it scheduled a Tr:wk S'uhdepai-tmcnt truckdriver po:,;itioo{#15176} to :i '"·ork week ·i1h rest day$ of other than Saturday aod Suncfoybtg,inoing.Ja.no.ary fO, 2·014 and contin uing (System File.S- J>-1 835-
G l ll - J 4-0152 BNR ).
The Carr'icr \'iolatcd the Agrcemeltt when it scheduled a Track Subdepart.me-nt 1ru.ckdri"·cr poshi_on (#! St75) to a workweek with r t.•Hdays of other thanSa turday and Sanday begi11ning January 10,2014 and c.-ontinuing{Syste m File S-P- 18.36-
Gltl -1 4--015.1) .
The Carrier violated lhe A·grcement when it S<"hcJuled a Tr-.tck SuhJepartrnc:nt truck driverposition (#15174) tu a wor-k weekwith rest days of other than Sn1urday and Sunday begin.ning.fanuary 10,2·014 and continuing (.Syxtcm J:Hc S- P-1 837-
G/11-14-0154).
A.as consequence oft.he \'fol:ttion referred to in Part ( I) above:, aoy employe
a.s.sign<'d to said position sbaU "... rccd n-. eight hours p:.tJ· at the timeattd one,.haJf
rateforeach and 1.•verySundayw1,1rkcd co n;, m\'indn; Juo.unry ro, 2014 (the itl.tle Che
bids i.:fo.se). Wefurther requfSt ihatany(sic)assigned to this position h.-ccive eight
hours tra.ight timc pay for each and every Fri fay, when tb.ey arc: required to suspend work, commendu January 10,2014. ThiscJa·imis to continue untilsuch timeas lhc position. is propc:dy assigned with Saturday aod Sunday restdays. '
(S) As :t consequenceof the viohttioo referred to in Part (2)above, any cmploye
a-..,;igned to said position sb II( . . r. e t c .ive eight hours pay at theti:mc andon e- ha lf
r. .ttefor e cband<'very Saturday workt:d commencing.fanu:u)' J0, 2014 (thed:tte the bidsclo c). We forther requ.est that:ioy truckdriver a.'5,.-;igoed to this position rcei!ive eighthoul"S trai_ght time pay for e:icb auU every Monday, w hc.n they are tcq1tlred to uspeud work, co·mmeod ng .January JO 2014. Thisdain, i tocoutb1uc
u·u t il such timeas tJ1t position i property :!$$igued viih Saturday and Sunday t L day....'
(6) Asa con.sequence of the: violation referred to in P:trt (3)::tbove, any cm plo y c.:
assigned to said po ition shall'...reteivc: eighthou payatthetimeand one-half
Ca:i;.eNo. 16
Award No.16
. .-de foreac. h Saturd:ty and Sunday worked commencing .Jaouary 10,2014 (rhcdate the bidsdose). Wefurther n.-quest that:.,iuy truck driver:t.s.si.gned to this positioo rcceh'e eighthourstraight time pay for each and e,·e , Tuesday aod \\' edncs da _y,
w hco t hey are.
required to suspen,d
.·,.ork, commcnci.og January10,2.014.Tb.is dai.m
is h.> continue until SL(ch ti.me as the. position is properly as5iigned w'ith Saturday11nd
Sunday rest days.·
OPll'ilON OF BOARD:
Public Law Board No. 7877, upon the whole record and all the evidence, lfod.s that
tbe partits herein arc Ca1Tier and Employees within themeani.ogof the Railwya I ,»bor
Act, as arucnded; that thelfoard ha.s jurisdiction overthe dispute herein; and that tbc
partic.o; to the disputeweregivco due notice of tbc h, ring auddidparticipatet here in.
Jn rendering our fi.od:ing.,; the .Board bas con.sidered only the argu111cots and evidenceraised duri11g the on -p roperty handling of thisclaim.
On or about January 1, 20141 C3nieradvcrtis.ed sever.ti truck driverpositions as seven-d.:ty a week positionswith r t ,;f Jays other lb.1n Sa1urd3y and Sunday. Thereis no dispute th:tt these new posilions bad the same ht:tdquartc andjobJ. uti es as Ibey b:td historically majn1ained. Thereisalso nodispute that thetruck driver positions previously workeda fiveday a week schedulewith Saturday and Sanday rest days.
The Organi7.atio n. filed threeseparate c.laittts wh.ich have bc4;i, (Onsolidated herein. 'fhe cl:tims :1.,;sert tbal lhc Carrier improperly l'.J'tated these truck driver positions'\lith rt.'Sf days other lh3n Saturday a.nd Sunday.l'be Organi7..atioo.contend." that the positions at-cin fac( assigned as five(5) Jays per Wt.'f'.k and a.re not filled or working ona seven(7) day per
w eek basis. According IO tht Organt'l!ttiou,the Carrier violated the. coutroJling Agreement by requiring fht' Cb.im:u11$ to " 'Or-k position a:i::si.gncd ·icl.11 :sldaysother than Saturday andSunday. Furt he.r, the Organiutfou aS.'-t'rts that Carri.er improperlyrequired Claim:wts lo suspendservice on one or mo:re of theil"workweek days.Insupport o(its
po.. iliC)a, the Org:tnization relies on Rtdc24, which providt. i.n relevant part: RULF. 24. l'ORTYHOlJR \VORK \ VEE K
A. Subjcd totheexceptions coot-.tined in this Agreement, a ll' Ork wee.kof forty (40) hou , eom:istingof five(5)daysofeig,ht (8') hout-s caeb, with fwo (2) coust-.cu. tive daysoff in each seven (7) i.;, hereby established. The work weeks may be stagg,cred in accordancewith the Compan)·,s opera rion:.l requirements. Sofar as
practicable thedaysoffshall beSaturday aod Sund.)a·'
subject to the provisions which follow.
•••
Thiswork weekruleis
NOTE: The: c p.re '-i<">n.,;'positions' aod "TI·ork' re(er to sen·i.ccs, dutie-", or opeJ'ation.-, necessary to be performed the pccificd numhca:- of days per wee.K.i
2
,:u ::di
not to the workweek of individual employet$.
PLI! No. 7877
Case No. 16 A-n·ar d No. 16
Five -day P ositions - Ou positions 1be d utit."S of wh icb can n -asouabyl five(5) days, the days tiff niUlk'Saturday and Smc da .y
be. met in
Six- day Positions - \Vb.ere the natu re of the work is such thact m plyocs wiU be
n eede d six (6) day s eac h week, the rest d:=tys will be either Saturday and .uSn day, o r·
Sunday a nd Monday.
S.,c •c o-day Position - On pos itions wh.ich a.re filled se,•c·n7( ) day..; perwctk :t1yJ
two (2 ) c on.secu ti vc days may be the i:-tst dayswith the pres umption in ravorof Satu rd ay :1:udSunday.
Regul:tr Relid Assignments
( I ) AUposs i ble regu l ar relief assignments wit h five(5) days of wo.rk and two
( 2) COl$l .cc
utivc rt. tdays will be t. bblisbtd todothework ncce.,;sa ry on
daysof-1.ssignmcnts in -Six (6 ) or seven (7) day senriec or
com b tnat foos th e rc:".Of, or to perform reli.efw or k on cerlltin days ands uc h type :-. of o t her work on otber d:.tys as ·m y b-e as. igocd. Reli t{ a ss ig u mcn ts will notbe required to havefive (5) days of ,.,·.or k per week.
(2) Ass i g.ni:nenb for re gula r relief positions may on diff('rettt day.,; include
differentsturtln.g time,;, duties and work locations fur em1 , lo yst: of the
samee '3.ssin the samescrdority din rittt pnnided they takethestarting
time,du ties and work focat:ions of the employe or e·mployeswhomt he y
are re.licvio.p.;
***
.1-1 D evia Lfon fl'om Monday-Friday \Vt-.ck - If i n positions or work extendingO\'Cra p e roi d of fh•c (5) days per week au oper .1tion a l p rob le m a r 1i5. es w h i c h theC omp a ny con te n d can.o.ot be met undertb(' provt..ions of Section J) of thisl"ulc, ao.dr equi res t h: ifsome. of such employes work Tuesd:1y th ro ugh Sa tu rda y insteado f Monday
t hrou g h Fr i d ya
: and the empfoyes c,ootcnd tht con.tr u y and if the p1=trties failt ()
agreet here on, then if th e company neverth e.less put such as./1:igomenl" iotoeffed,tb..e
d i p$ ut e n1ay be procc::ssed as a gr,ie ·anc-t or daitu under thb Agreemen L
The O rg an i:1.:1tio u a s..c rts that RuJc 24(A) and (D) a rc cJ('.ar and unam b gi uous in
p or-v i d hgl for S aru rda y :1nd Su.nd ay a.,; re s t d a y s whe..n posi Li on :s ha" ·e ditties which can
t('.saon 3b fy lc:, met ht fh •e d a) •s . Co n siste nt n·ith thi$ Agreement language, tbep os it ions
es tab lsi he d for ht e pos itions herein have. hi.storically been assigned a five-da y wor-k wt..-ek
, •r ith Ssturday and Sunday 3$ rest days.The Organi-.1:atioo ar g ue:; that Carreir basno t shownany c hang e in o pc r:1tional occd to bulletin these positions with otherthan Saturday
:tndSuo day a." rest d ays no r has C'ariiere.,;.h1blishe<l th a t the d ulit .,,;of tbr: c ops i toi n s
can not be met lo fi.\/e da ys.. hi su('.h a circ umsta nce:, t.be Org an iz:1tion pQfots to the r.nany
PLI!No. 7877
ca..cNo.16
Award No.16
precedent awardsou tbi.,;.subjttt which havecondudcd that Carrier cannot overtomc tht
heavy presumption that pm;itions l:lTCto beas.signed work n1 -eeks consisth1g:' offivedays
n· it h Su tu .rd ay a,:,d Sunday:u rest days.S-ec, PLB 4014, Cases 9, 10,11; SBA1107 Award
No.l lt isc hc n, 1999); Third Division Awards 35564; 35805; 3{;055; 36722; 37049;141561;
PL8 7656, Award 4 (Strongnin, 2014).
In addition, the Organi:,,afion C()nh;nds lhat Rule.24(H) requirt.'.!j Cu rie l" to contad rhc Organiz:ttion and d iscus.."'the issue if an oper.Hiooal p·r(>b1em a r is t.•.swhich Cllnoot be tt1cut n der Rule 24{0 ). No attempt by the Carrier w3.s made to contad the Organi:t.ation t)rfor to itt1pkmeuting the po5.it:ioo.s at is.wt The Org:ulization argues th3t thefirtt time the maltcrwasbr o ugh t m its attenli(ln was when the poj,;ifions we.re posted for bulletin.
[1.1 rt-Spon s e, Cat"rier contencJ.s that it folly cotnplicd "';rb the provisiosn of tbe
controlling Agn..ruent. Itargue that Ruic 24(F) l't( og.nizes thnc c\'en-day positions may be trc-.tted and ally r•no c:ons ecu ti \•c da)'S m.ay be the rt:,.t days. A seven-day a signment can be established wht.re, as in this e-.asc, theree"i!Sts se\·et, d::iys of work, On th-e of thosesc·vcn da )s', the t\'Ork isp erfo r med by the regular (:-.en •o'"(fay) p c,siti on /g.aog, with the.remaining
h\·o d:-Jys of work.performed byir.s hulletir:icd n.-guJar relief crew in acoordanc(.·with Rt1lc 24(G). R.u.le 24 aHows it tu t.,ggel" the work weeks of truck driverssoas totnaintai-oseven day a weekcov·en gt>
The Ca.n-icr eootend;, tbat there, b oo agreement language in Rule 24 (F)or ( (; ) that n..'(luires it to show aoyope-rationalneed. Even if such a sbouing is neCt$S ll.ry,ho wve·cr t Carrierasserts d1at it has rhc roa.nai er ial right 10determine lhr efficient conduct ofi ts business.T. r-u:J,ma.intcn.u:icei.s.-rnesr eq ui r e Carrier torespond •ma seven dlty per wttk h3.$iS. Equally imporl3ot, the ract that there is con:nage assigned se,•en days per weekis
ev ide .ncein aod of itself that there is an opc rd:
ional n(.'t'd; otberwi.,;c the ca rrier would
s im p lyp ay overtime ratesfor oce:u•iouaJ work inslt.ad of paying an additional 40 hoursof
rl ::ti gh t time pnytoan addjtional e11..1p luy(.-c.
Carrier recogt1i:t.C$ tbat Rule24(A)and(D)arc.applicable-whco there i.;, ::e changei:n tht work-week situ ati·o u, wherea fh·c-day as.,.;ignm ent for ope rationa l reasons caunot be
1
1
performedon a i\f ond 3.)' through Friday ba$iS. lo thatsitu:1tfon C.a.rrier ackn owledges it
wouJd bal'c toprol'e opcrntional need to sch(.-dule a cha nge i.o tbe work wee.k atJd rest days. I fcrc, the l>Oliiti.ons in q uestio n an· regular se ven-day a.ss ig. n rnen ts to co" ·c.r seven-day scn·ice requirements and theirrelief positions werecreated to relieve. the rest days of the
s t- \·c11-day a. signments. Sioce the Carrier maydesignatescvc,:i days of workwhere thereis such oeed, it is oot required to inform the Otg.ani7..ation beforehand. In suppon of'it-. position,C arrier citesa line of c.1St$ which have reached tht Same <'0Dd u.sion in simi&a-r
fac tu a l circumsfanccs.These priora\"' \ttrds, in Corricr'..s \·iew, should be deemed controlling
in the in.st.int ca,.;.c. See, e.g., Thi.rdOivi ioo Award 21428; t'LS2960, Award 80 (Vernon, 1985)App•.ndix K SRA, Award 2.;(0 ' 8, icn, 1977).
The Boal"d ha reviewed the considerable arbitra.l prcc:ed e.o t p r ovided by fhc
pa r t ie s. It is dear that"'earc notoptrating inuncharted warers. Noh\ithstandlog the
J
PU! No. 7877
Ca.seNo.16
Awal"d No. 16
holding,; Ul someearlier c:,ses, upon which the Carrier rclit>,s, the hettel' rt--il$ooed and 01:\jority viewh :il:$ adh e r ed for c.focade to the. principlei ct forth in Special Roard of
AdjustnH•.ntN. <, 1107, Award No. 1 (Eh•chen) whcn interpretingthe Forty HC1u.rWo r k Rule:
Tbeseear l y caseslaid down the goidiog principle: followed in aU of the hctter rca $oen d ca esdecided in rhc lasr 40 years, thatthe language appc:tring. in R.ulE· JS(a):tnd (b) createsa rebuH.able presumption that exilttiog five-da y openttio.n.s
staffed by positions with a Moo.day- Frid:iy work week and Saturday-Sund !yt resc
dayshould not unilatera lly be c.ba ngcd to seven -day opc r.atio u :;: with other than Sa tur da -_ySu .nday rt."Sf days. ACarrier invokingthe language orR.ule17(a) ::1od (d)
ro alterthisslatttsquo :tnd ju li.(v iwplcmcoting. uch a ch:1nge from· O·., e-day
)'londay tbl"ough fil"id.ay po.sitions toseven-d ay poi,itions with otbe.r th.anSatu r day• Suuday re.st days, bean,; the b urd e.nof rc h u.tt ing that presumption by producing dearandcotivincingtvideoct of necessitydue to a m:1teriaJch:t;ngeof operational requ irc ments1 i.e., a boba fideoperational nct.-d to m.ake the cba.oge.
Contrary to Carrier's position, nrc :u-e pe·r:-maded that Rule.24 cannot he propet'ly in terpr et ed i:H this pointin timeas aothnrizing rbe C ni er to unilaterally abolishhistoric five-day positinus and to te- l.ahHsh them.1sse en-day positions so as to aYoid the plain rea d i o.g of Ruic.24.The Agr ee.me nt is ch.u,n th..1t a Monday through J,'l-iday eight hour per
rlya work.week i..; the co ntra ctu,1· Uy prefe r n.-d l$Cbedulc:. \l thou g,hdeviation .from the
Monday throughF rida y :;cheduJe i perm in ed, Rule 24(A) nevertheless rcquite-sa showing Lh:u there :1re..opc ra tionaJ req uir eme nts" which ncc-..essit.atc the change an<4 further, th:.tit if> not ··pnctic ble" to ha,•eS:a1:turda)' and Sunday r t <laJ . Nota bly, the presumption in
favor of Saturday ao.d S unda y n:stdl}.ys applies t."<flt:tlly lo .seven-day positions u_oder ltulc
24(F.}
Tbui,, Carrieril) asst'rtfon that it oced uot establish any change.ino perac ion a l
l"t"<Juiremc 1ti: is inc ()ru,istc.n,t ·i th the la.ng1.-1.A;:tc of Ru .le l4 and tb.e tong lineofcas <-.:s
in(erpr-eting the Jioriy Hour \Vork Ruic wbkh require <.:arricr to show opcratioru:tl
necessity in or d e r to cb angc . a hmg-establi bed Monday throug,h Friday five-da y position
withSa tur dya and Suoday rest days so as 1<, provide e""·en-da_y covcrnge with CE'$tday
other than Satu.rday a.ncl Sunda.,...
Carricr'.s alternative argument is that track m.aiotcuance is:sucs and Lhc need for
se,•c -nd y:, covcr:iige rehut t.be presumption in fnor oftheMonday .through Friday
wor kw ee k with nst da ) '.S on Sa tu rd ay and S u nday. In e>u.r, i ew, bowc-.·er, that ar gumen. t is equaJly problematic, for h,·o reaso ns. Firs there is no evidence in the record to support the Carrier's position that there-h a,'e been mater ial modificatioos in conditions wh ic h justifya
h a.ngc tu work schedules that ha,'e been in e.tistcnce for dt.-cades. The burden was on the Carr ier to t$tahfo;;h that1u.1iut. ln contr::tst to Third Division 36999 where Carrier
nn-o<ul ced probative evidence that it wasunable to nteet s t n' icc demand.,; by the use of
overcime on weekends and where the dut ies oft.be pol$itions could not rea..;.o n: t b ly be met on
a Monday tlU'ough Frida)' sched ule, h O $ubstaotivec,·ideuce W!!.!i offered to .support Carrier's J>Osrtiou in thiscase.
Award No.16
Second, railroading basaJw:Jys been :t 24n opcratiol:1. \Vitboucsubsta-.:1ti:ttiooto re bu t the presumption of the )fonday rhr(rngh J.'l-id:iy workweek with Saturday and Sunday rest days, wearc "-'Ompellcd to conclude that what Carrier isattempting to do is rearrange work schedu1L-s of p-0.,;itfons that were h isfork aU.·, :1ssiA)led rrveda y service
1on d i1ythrough. Friday to schedules thaf are still five-day a weekservice but ovcdapping t h ese )si tions lo p .rovide seve n day cover-.tgc with r t daysof other than Saturdaya. n d
Su n day. The effect istoavoid the payment of overtitt1c nn weekends. It basbe.en
consistently established, however, lhd: avoidance of uvc.rtimepllyments for
.Saturday/Sundaywork is not au opcr-.ttioual necessity su.ffkient to ovel"cume the
p r esum 1>tion thal theexistingfive-day ope-.r:ufon staffed by po.sitionswitha Monday
tb.rnugh f'dda )' workwe ek 3DdSatu.rday-.Sunday rest daysshould not be uo.ilater:..lly changed.See, e.g.Third Oi..-i.siou Awuds 36722. \Vethci:-dore find t.hat C&rrier's a. sertion
thatt h.e workwas$£ven days per·week work is notsofficicnt in Jight of the fact that thc
wor k ha.. previou ly been and continues to be performed on a five day per w<.-ck basis · it b relief..A.s 1he Board $bited in Third Oi"·ii;ion Award No.36722: " .•. the rec.ord in thisca'<e
s h<)ws that before,d uring and after thedisputed cbaugeovcr by the:C!3rrier the n·ork
performedrem ainedde facto a five-day operation, despite- the Carrier $ unilateralde jorc dc .caJ .ration tbat...it wo1tld henceforth he.s,chedulcd and compensated :tsa se vc--nday
opcntion."
Based un t.beforegoing, we fmd that Carrier viobted RuJc24 of theA greement when it uuilatcr-.tlly changed the Monda · thrmtgh Fl""i da y workwcd, with Saturdays and Sundays designated as r t days to a workwe-ck, witb rc:il daysof other tba11Saturday and Sun day. Asa tcmcdy for the proven violation> the Carr-ici:-is directt.-d to compcru:ate Claim nts ill an amountequal to the difference between whatthey achtaJly c·arncd undc·r
tb.e.con t nac tua lyl i1walid sch<.'(luJe and what theJ·wouJd have c.uued but for thev io fation of
Rule24 :.and until ucb funcas the i,o:-itions arc proper-I)' hullctiucd. C. ra riers ha ll
co m pe :n s :.t1e the employees 3$.Si ccl tv the po$irious .afkr tb.einvalid c;bauge (he difference bem't.•cn the O\•ert ime and straiglu tiro.e rateofp:ay fo.r each hour ·o rke d on the former rest day comwc.·nciog Ja:uuary 10, 2014, wbeu the hjdsdosed.The Organb;ation's request
for additiouJ straight timedamages for the"Jo t work opportunity"' h: hereby denied, consistent with the reported d«isions on th.is s ubject.
AWARD
C!aitnS.sustained in accordance with th.c Fi nd in .
PLJ:1 Nq.7877
Case No.16
Award No. 16
"\
)
ecn:.1:0.
ur?'er Member
I
atcd Janu31-y 18, 2019.
,,
I
I
t,t:--N"V\ _.). <:.. ·-L....t..-,)
At\ S.KF.1'TS1 Neutral Member
Z»ch,u·y Vocgel
Organizat ion Mt'mber