.SPECIAL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT NO. 280
 PARTIES) Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees
DISPUTE) St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company
 STATEMENT OF CLAIM:
 "It is the position of the Brotherhood that:

 "I. Carrier violated the Maintenance of Way Agreement,
 especially but not limited to Rule 2-2 and Rule
 5-1(a), when assignment was made on Advertisement
 No. 4=N, dated January 21, 1974, to junior employee
 T.R. Dilbeck and not to senior employee who also
 requested the job; namely Mr. R.E. Johnson.

 "II. Mr. R.E. Johnson be paid the difference in pay rate
 of laborer and machine operator's rate of pay for
 period February 4, 1974 to date that he is assigned as>
 operator at the current rate of $887.73."
 FINDINGS:
 On January 21, 1974 Carrier advertised for bids on a Ballast Tamper Operator Position. No employe with machine operator rights bid the position. Bids were received from Claimant with a seniority date of June 28, 1968 and another junior employe with a seniority date of July 15, 1970. Carrier assigned the junior employe to the position. Claim was filed by the organization on behalf of Claimant contending that Claimant held machine operator rights and the junior employe did not.
 The record shows that neither employe held machine operator rights at the time the assignment was made. The record further shows that Claimant was disqualified as a machine operator on November 3, 1969 despite the fact that he was used temporarily as a machine operator in December 1973.
 5614 aso - AwAh

 Under the circumstances, the determination of an employe's qualifications., fitness and ability is solely that of Carrier.

AWARD

Claim denied.


Neutr~l) Member

A~ - ,


Carrier Member

 Date2I

 Organization Member