SPECIAL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT N0. 553
THE ORDER OF RAILROAD TELEGRAPHERS
SOUTHERN PACIFIC COMPANY (PACIFIC LINES)
STATEMENT OF CLAIM
:
"Claim of the General Committee of The Order of Railroad
Telegraphers on the Southern Pacific (Pacific Lines), that:
1. The Carrier violated the Agreement between the
parties hereto when it removed from said Agreement
work embraced by covered positions at the agency
stations listed below, and on the dates shown in
connection therewith, and transferred the work so
removed to employes at Medford, Eugene and
Brooklyn Oregon, not covered by the Telegraphers'
Agreement:
Salem November 109 1958 Dallas December 189 1958
Carlton November 179 1958 Silve=ton November 269 1958
Clackama~s November 179 1958 Oswego December 47 1958
Oregon City November 199 1958 Newbery December 57 1958
Gervais November 21ty 1958 Hillsboro December 87 1958
Brooks November 21-y 1958 Garibaldi December 102,1958
Mt. Angel November 259 1958 Tillamook December l0$' 1958
Woodburn November 259 1958 Wheeler December lly 1958
Canby December ly 1958 Gold Hill January 99 1959
Halsey December 49 1958 Grants Pass January 129 1959
Lyons December 159 1958
2(a) The Carrier shall, because of the violation set
forth above, restore the work unilaterally removed
from the agency stations-thereto, and to employes
thereat, entitled to perform the work, and ,
(b) ,Compensate each and every employer if any, for
wage losses sustained, and reimbursement for
expenses incurred by reason of Carrier's viola
tive act, commencing March 16 19599 and terminating
with the restoration of work to the positions from
3(a)
The Carrier shall, in addition to the foregoing,
and en the basis of. the substantive claim set out
in Item 1 above at the agency stations listed below:.
Albany November
109 1958
Manroe December
59 1958
Corvallis November,
129 1958
Toledo December
89 1958
Lebanon November
179 1958
Myrtle Creek December
109 1958
Sutherlin November
209 1958
Riddle December
109 1958
Oakland November
209 1958
Veneta December
129 1958
Cushman November
289 1958
West Scio December
159 1958
Cottage Grove December
ly 1958
West Stayton December
15p 1958
,Harrisburg December
49 1958
' Mill City December
159'1958
Glendale January
89 1959
Myrtle Point December
189 1958
Forest Grove December
129 1958
Coquille December
189.1958
Seghers December
129 1958
Powers December
189 1958
Williamd.na December
159 1958
Ja.°-tetion City December
19' 1958
Sheridan December
159.1958
Mapleton December
229 1958
Independence December
169 1958
Drain February
ly 1959
McMinnville December
189 1958
Swissh::me December.
229 1958
Brownsville December
59 1958
Springfield February 109
1959
(b) Restore the work unilaterally removed from the agency
stations thereto, and to the employes thereat,
_r
entitled to perform the work, and
(c) Compensate each and every employe if any, for wage
losses sustained and reimbursement for expenses in
curred by reason of Carrier's violative act, commen
cing March 23
1959,
and terminating with the
restoration o.l work to the positions from which it
was removed."
OPINION OF THE BOARD:
This claim involves the centralization by Carrier of certain
clerical work for fifty-three smaller stations at three of its major
stations where clerical work is regionalized. During
the period
between November 109
1958
and February
1.09 1959,
Carrier transferred
the work of preparing waybills and freight bills, collection of
charges and various phases of station accointing from fifty=three stations in, Oregon to Medford, Eugene and Brooklyn, Oregon.
Ail of the work transferred was clerical work
and is
being
performed in the central stations by clerical employes. It was work
that had been performed by. either Agent-Telegraphers' Clerical
Employes or Telegrapher-Clerks depending upon who was on duty at
the time the work.was performed. At the time of the transfers
eighteen of the stations involved had clerical employes not represented by the Organization. As a result of the changes twenty-five
clerical positions in sixteen of these stations were abolished.' So
the claims concern clerical work being performed at the time. by
persons represented by the Clerks' Organization as well as clerical
work being performed by Agent-Telegraphers and Telegrapher-Clerks.
Twenty-five of the stations had very little business and consequently
a very small amount of the type of work transferred. Sixteen of the
stations have since been closed: Carlton, Gervais, Mt. Angel'
Wheeler, Gold Hill' Cushman, Harrisburg, Seghers, Sheridan,
Brownsville, Monroe, Veneta, West Scio, Mill City, Myrtle Point and
SWlsshome.
The Organization contends that all of the work in question
belongs to the persons covered by the Telegraphers' Agreement and
the transfer in each instance was a violation of the Agreement. It
asks that all Telegraphers entitled to perform the work be'compensated for wage losses sustained and reimbursed for expenses incurred
and that the work be restored to each -of-the stations from, which it
was taken. The Organization makes the same arguments which were
advanced in Case No. 2. Although there are minor factual differences between this case and Case No. 2 and many more and larger
. ' = ,~ S c3 A 5'53
d c~
stations are involved, we find nothing in this case to justify a
different result. In our view the same principles apply here.
Therefore, for the reasons which are fully expressed in Award No. 2,
we hold that Carrier was within its rights in transferring the work
and that the claim is without merit. -
FINDING
That Carrier did not violate the Agreement.
..
, AWARD
The claim is denied.
SPECIAL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT N0.
553
Roy R, Ray, C-
D. A. Bobo, Employe Member L, W. Sloant Car r er Member
San Francisco, California
November 99 1964