SPECIAL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT N0. 310
The Order of Railroad Telegraphers Docket No. TE-8657
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company Case No. 25
STATEMENT OF CLAIM
: "Claim of the General Committee of the Order of Railroad Telegraphers that the operation of main track hand-operated switches at the following
location, Crothersville-switch at West end siding, Atterbury-switch at East end
siding, Greenwood-switch at East end siding, Burr-switch at West end siding,
Lebanon-switch at West end siding, Bringhurst-cross-over switches at block station,
is a part of the Operator's duties at the points shown and were negotiated into
the Agreement. The transfer of these switches to others not covered by the Scope
Rule of the Agreement is a violation of such Agreement and is supported by
N.R.A.B. Award 4042. Claim is made for a day's pay for an idle extra man, or a
day's pay for a regular man idle, if no extra men available, for each time an em
ploye not covered by our Scope Rule operates these switches." (Southwestern
Case No. 39 - System Docket No. 279)
FINDINGS
: . - --
Regulation 4-A-1(b) says "the listing of positions and the rate of pay in the Rate
Schedules attached to this Agreement is for the sole purpose of providing information with respect to the rates of pay applicable to positions covered by this
Agreement."
Hence use of the symbol indicating "handles ground switches" with the monthly rate
of pay of a position does not mean, as Organization contends, that such a duty,
having been "negotiated into" a position, can only be removed therefrom by negotiation.
We treated on the handling of switches generally in Award No. 12, Docket No.
TE-8605, and adopt the same principles here. See also Award 8421.
AWARD
:
Claim denied.
Signed this 10th day of April, 1961.
/s/ E. A. Lynch
E. A. Lynch, Chairman
/s/ C. E. Alexander
C. E. Alexander, Carrier Member R. J. Woodman, Employe Member
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DISSENT
No Board of Adjustment has the authority to modify or amend existing
rules but that is what we find the end result to be based on the "Findings"
and "Award" of the majority. The Third Division ruled in Award No. 5703:
"* * we cannot make a rule nor modify existing rules * *.
Renegotiation thereof in the manner provided by the Railway
Labor Act is the proper source of authority for that purpose."
Arbitration Award No. 153 awarded a train order rule, it did not amend
the Scope Rule
of the currently effective agreement extant between the parties.
Yet here we have the majority making a finding and an award that has gone beyond
the Arbitration Award. The majority has here actually modified and amended the
Scope Rule.
Arbitration Award No. 153 awarded a rule which would not require Train
and Engine Service Employes to copy train orders, except in emergencies, at
points where and during the hours when Block or Telegraph or Telephone Operators are scheduled to be on duty, or at block stations which have been closed
or abolished since May 1, 1938, or at block limit stations which have been
closed or abolished since May 1, 1938 or which may thereafter be established.
The Scope Rule of the agreement contains the classifications: "Telegraphers,
Telephone-Operators (except Telephone Switchboard Operators), Block Operators".
The Arbitration Board awarded a train order rule as attested by the following:
"NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD .
ARBITRATION BOARD
Arbitration Case No. 153
Case No. A-3521
In the Matter Of:
DISPUTE BETWEEN THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY AND ITS EMPLOYES REPRESENTED
BY THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS, BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE FIREMEN
AND ENGINEMEN, BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD TRAINMEN, AND THE ORDER OF RAILROAD
TELEGRAPHERS
AWARD OF BOARD OF ARBITRATION
Pursuant to an arbitration agreement entered into by the above named
parties on March 28, 1951, in accordance with the provisions of the Railway
Labor Act, the Board of Arbitration consisting of Winfield G. Salmonson,
Carrier-named member, C. H. Keenan, Employe-named member, and David L. Cole,
neutral arbitrator, who was designated Chairman, having duly heard the parties
and considered their evidence and arguments, does hereby make its award as
follows:
1. It declines to award the rule proposed by the Organization as set forth in
Paragraph Fourth of the aforementioned arbitration agreement.
2. It awards a rule in the language following, to become effective on February
15, 1952, and to continue in effect until it is changed or modified in accordance
with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended:
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"'Except in emergencies, Train and Engine Service Employes shall not be required
to copy train orders at points where, and during the hours when Block or Telegraph or Telephone Operators are scheduled to be on duty, or at block stations
which have been closed or abolished since May 1, 1938, or at block limit stations
which have
been established since May 1, 1938, or which may hereafter be
established.
(1) The emergencies referred to shall include only storms, washouts, tornadoes,
obstructions to tracks, slides, accidents, casualties, wrecks, engine or equipment failures, hot boxes, or break-in-two's, provided such cause or causes
would result in serious delay and were not anticipated by the train dispatcher
when the train was at the last open block or telegraph station.
(2) At block stations which have been closed on certain tricks or during certain hours continuously since May 1, 1938, the restrictions of this rule shall
not apply on such tricks, or during such hours.
(3) The train orders referred to in this rule are those of the type now designated as Form 19 Train Orders in their various forms, and as illustrated on
pages 35 through 42 of the Carrier's Book of Rules, edition of September 25,
1949.
(4) The restrictions of this rule shall not apply to temporary block stations
which have been closed or abolished or which may hereafter be closed or abolished.
Temporary block stations as referred to herein, are defined to be block stations
opened for a temporary limited purpose only, such as the clearing or repairing
of tracks, bridges or other facilities, construction projects, or the movement of
some special purpose train or trains.'
BOARD OF ARBITRATION
/s/ David L. Cole,
Neutral Arbitrator and Chairman
/s/ Winfield G. Salmonson,
Carrier Arbitrator
December 12, 1951
DISSENT BY BOARD MEMBER C. H. KEENAN
I consider the award agreed to by the majority of the members of this Arbitration
Board to be very improper and unjust to the involved employes; it seriously discriminates against them, and is not responsive to the evidence of record. Moreover, this award fails to require the correction of practices that violate the
inherent fundamental principal of craft rights and representation as contemplated
by the Railway Labor Act, as amended.
Therefore, I decline to participate in the rendition of the award.
/s/ C. H. Keenan,
Board Member."
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As may be noted the rule, directed at Train and Engine Service Employes,
is that they shall not be required to copy train orders . . . at block stations
closed or abolished after May 1, 1938, or at block limit stations established
after that date except in emergencies. An Understanding, reached in 1938 between
the parties, not only embraced the handling of train orders by Train and Engine
Service Employes but all other block operator's work as well, such as blocking
and reporting trains, handling switches and clearance cards, transmission and
receiving messages, and all other related duties assigned and accruing to the
block station positions at the time of abolishment. The Arbitration award did
not alter or otherwise annul the Scope Rule or the Oral Understanding as to
block operator's work being off limits to other employes if the office was one
closed after May 1, 1938.
The Arbitration award is supplemental to the Scope Rule and to the Oral
Understanding of May 1, 1938, it is not a substitute thereof, hence we here have
an erroneous award.
/s/ Russell J. Woodman
Russell J. Woodman
Employe Member
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