MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

(ST. Louis-Springfield, Springfield-Tulsa, Tulsa-Sherman,

and Tulsa-Ft. Scott, ID Service)

 

IT IS AGREED:

 

The parties signatory hereto are agreeable, in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII of the May 13, 1971 National Agreement, and the Award of Arbitration Board No. 323, to the operation of interdivisional service on 4 territories, subject to the following provisions of this Agreement.

 

NOTE: As used in this Agreement, the term Interdivisional Service includes interdivisional, interseniority district, intradivisional and/or intraseniority district service.

 

Interdivisional through freight service may be operated in through freight (subject to the application of the conversion rule) and unassigned service on the territory between St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri (both directions); between Springfield, Missouri, and Tulsa, Oklahoma (both directions); between Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Sherman, Texas (both directions); and/or between Ft. Scott, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma (both directions).

 

(a) Interdivisional through freight service on these territories, shall be protected by “Long Pool Crews, “ assigned solely to the protection of such interdivisional service but otherwise covered by existing agreements and understandings (including mileage regulation agreements) except as otherwise contained in this Agreement.

 

Separate “Short Pool Crew” assigned solely to any one of the subdivisions in these 4 territories may also be maintained if there is sufficient mileage (as determined under mileage regulation agreements and understandings), and such “Short Pool Crews” will rotate among themselves, separated entirely from the “Long Pool Crews.”  Where “Short Pool Crews” are not maintained, or where maintained but not available, service that is to be performed entirely on one subdivision (i.e., not interdivisional) shall be protected by crews made up of extra men.

 

Newburg, Monett, Francis, and Afton shall not be a terminal for crews called in interdivisional service on these 4 interdivisional territories.

 

(a) Actual miles to be run in interdivisional service between St. Louis and Springfield is 231 miles.  Actual mileage of the Rolla Subdivision is 113 miles and of the Lebanon Subdivision is 118.  Thus Rolla Subdivision employees will be entitled to 48.9% and Lebanon Subdivision employees will be entitled to 51.1% of the total train miles in interdivisional service between St. Louis and Springfield.

 

The actual mileage between Springfield and Tulsa is 187.7 miles.  Actual mileage of the Springfield Subdivision is 42.4 miles and of the Cherokee Subdivision is 145.3 miles.  Thus Springfield Subdivision employees will be entitled to 22.6% and Cherokee Subdivision employees will be entitled to 77.4% of the total train miles in interdivisional service between Springfield and Tulsa.

 

The actual mileage between Tulsa and Sherman is 220 miles.  Actual mileage of the Creek Subdivision is 114 miles and of the Sherman Subdivision is 106 miles.  Thus Creek Subdivision employees will be entitled to 51.8% and Sherman Subdivision employees will be entitled to 48.2% of the total train miles in interdivisional service between Tulsa and Sherman.

 

The actual mileage between Ft. Scott and Tulsa is 166 miles.  Actual mileage of the Afton Subdivision is 88 miles and of that portion of the Cherokee Subdivision between Afton and Cherokee Yard (Tulsa) is 78 miles.  Thus Afton Subdivision employees will be entitled to 53% and Cherokee Subdivision employees will be entitled to 47% of the total train miles in interdivisional service between Ft. Scott and Tulsa.

 

4. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, crews in interdivisional service on the St. Louis-Springfield territory (Rolla and Lebanon Subdivisions), on the Tulsa-Sherman territory (Creek and Sherman Subdivisions), and on the Ft. Scott-Tulsa territory (Afton and Cherokee Subdivisions) will be alternated on a 1-on-1 basis (e.g., 1 Rolla crew, then 1 Lebanon crew, then 1 Rolla crew, etc.) out of both terminals of each territory (or on a 2-on-2 basis if the General Chairman or his representative and the proper Carrier officer agree).  It is recognized that crews may have to be used out of turn when a crew (whose turn it is) is not rested, but when this is necessary, an off-setting adjustment (in number of crews from the unrested crew’s district) in the alternation of the crews will be made as soon as rested crews are available) in order to restore the balance.

 

The proration of train mileage on each of the above-mentioned 3 interdivisional territories shall be equalized when the accumulation of mileage (at the rate of 5 train miles for each on-way trip by a Rolla crew on the St. Louis-Springfield territory, 8 train miles for each one-way trip by a Sherman crew on the Tulsa Sherman territory, and 10 train miles for each one-way trip by a Cherokee crew on the Ft. Scott-Tulsa territory) equals 3500 train miles.  When 3500 miles are thus accumulated, the junior interdivisional pool crew on the shortest district of the territory (Rolla, Sherman, and Cherokee, respectively) will be bulletined to employees on the longest district (Lebanon, Creek and Afton, respectively) but the assigned employees will remain on the assignment during the bulletining period and, thereafter, until (and unless) displaced by a new assignee.  If there are any bids from employees holding seniority as of the date of this Agreement, the senior bidder will be assigned to work off the accumulated train mileage.  Employees establishing seniority after the date of this Agreement shall not have any rights to permanent or 6-day vacancies on these equalization assignments.  If there are no bids, the 3,500 train mile accumulation will be considered to be waived except that a displaced employee (with seniority as of the date of this Agreement) may subsequently bump onto the assignment for whatever remains of the equalization.  During the time that an employee is working on an equalization crew on other than his own district, under the foregoing provision, he will be treated as though he was an employee of that other seniority district.

 

(c) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, crews in interdivisional service on the Springfield-Tulsa territory (Springfield and Cherokee Subdivisions) will be alternated on the basis of 3 Cherokee crews to 1 Springfield crew, then 4 Cherokee crews to 1 Springfield crew, and then 3 Cherokee crews to 1 Springfield crew, etc., out of both terminals of the territory.  It is recognized that crews may have to be used out of turn when a crew (whose turn it is) is not rested, but when this is necessary, an offsetting adjustment (in number of crews from the unrested crew’s district) 9in the alternation of the crews will be made (as soon as rested crews are available) to restore the balance.  No accumulation of mileage will be necessary of required on this interdivisional territory.

 

(a) Total trip miles, both working and deadheading, will be treated as equals in the equalization.

 

(b) After each payroll period, the Carrier will furnish a statement showing the trips commenced by crews in each interdivisional service operation during that payroll period and the accumulated mileage (as contemplated by Section 4(b) hereof).  Copy of these statements will be furnished to the Local Chairman involved and the General Chairman.  The above statements will be used as the basis for determining whether or not the proper rotation and/or equalization is being maintained.  If the report indicates that it is not, the proper adjustment will be made.

 

Engineers in interdivisional service shall continue to have the same home terminal that is now the home terminal for pool service on their respective (seniority district) subdivision, except as otherwise provided in Section 4(b), above.

 

Engineers will not acquire seniority on the other seniority district,

account having worked over another seniority district in interdivisional service.

 

The provisions of the M/A signed April 15, 1975 (copy attached) are extended so as to apply to Engineers on all 4 interdivisional territories covered by this Agreement.

 

7. (a) When a crew in interdivisional service is called, reports for duty, and is not used, they will be allowed 50 miles and stand first out, but if held more than 4 hours, they will be allowed 100 miles and stand first out.  If a call is canceled before the employee leaves his residence or (away from home) lodging facility, the foregoing sentence (and payments) do not apply.  If “runaround” account not rested, such crew will not be due additional pay but will be restored to their same relative position on the pool board at their home terminal at first opportunity, provided they give written notification to the Caller.

 

Interdivisional crews who perform some service but who are released before leaving their initial terminal will be paid 100 miles at through freight rate and be restored to the first-out position.  They will not be called again until they are rested and it is recognized that other crew(s) may be called around them without penalty while they are resting. 

 

NOTE: The provisions of Paragraphs (a) and (b), above, do not apply to individual extra men when the call and release occurs at their extra board terminal but, instead, such extra men will be handled (and paid) in accordance with applicable system Agreement rules.

An interdivisional crew will not be considered “run around” when the runaround is because of equalization, rest or other reasons specified in this Agreement.

 

Interdivisional Engineers shall, upon written request, be restored to proper turn at the next terminal if possible (if not possible there, they may file written request upon return to home terminal), if they do not tied up at a terminal in the same order that they were called at the home terminal.  Interdivisional crews will not be exchanged in a terminal to avoid runaround and when such a “runaround” does occur, no penalty payment is due.  (Exception:  The Carrier may exchange the crews when, in its judgment, the first crew called is being delayed to the extent that further delay may jeopardize their availability, under the law, to complete the run to their destination terminal.)  Thus an interdivisional Engineer “runaround” at the initial terminal (account of a following crew preceding him out of the terminal, being called and released, or called and not used), on line of road or at the final terminal will be restored to proper turn if he advises the Caller, in writing, within 1 hour after he registers off duty (or registers his arrival, when deadheading).

 

8. An interdivisional crew, at its away-from-home terminal, may be called

to deadhead at any time after their arrival, regardless of their standing in relation to at-home crews and the normal crew rotation, except they must be called first-in/first-out in relation to other crews from the same seniority district.  When 2 away-from-home interdivisional crews are to be called for the same train (one to work and one to deadhead), if one of the crews is not rested and the other one is rested, the rested crew will work the train and the unrested crew will deadhead.

 

9. (a) Extra men will protect vacancies on the interdivisional crews of their own seniority district and the employees assigned to these crews will lay off and report at the crew’s home terminal (and extra board point), except in cases of sickness.  If a regular man lays off account sickness at the away-from-home terminal and there insufficient time to deadhead an extra man (without pay) by train to protect the vacancy, an extra man at the vacancy point shall protect the vacancy and then be deadheaded back to his home extra board point with deadhead pay.

 

Crews composed of extra men will be used when assigned interdivisional crews are not available to protect the service.  The use of such extra crews will be done, as far as practical, in a manner that will assist in arriving at the desired equalization between the seniority districts.  When such extra crews are used, they will be work in the same manner as an assigned interdivisional crew until they return to the home terminal.

 

Emergency Engineers who are assigned to interdivisional service as Firemen, will not be used as Emergency Engineer in other than interdivisional service if there is any other qualified employee available for such service.  If it is necessary to use an Emergency Engineer to protect a vacancy on an assigned interdivisional crew, the senior available Emergency Engineer who is assigned as interdivisional Fireman will be used.  For purposes of this paragraph, an Engineer who is regularly assigned in other than interdivisional service, will not be considered to be an “employee available for such service.”

 

10. (a) Pool crews that are called to operate solely on one division or between exiting district terminals of that one subdivision shall be a Short Pool Crew from that seniority district.  If Short Pools are not maintained, or where maintained but not available, a “bum” crew made up of extra men from that subdivision will be called and used.

 

Except as otherwise provided in this Section, all unassigned work train (which includes wrecker) service on interdivisional territory will be protected by Short Pool Crews, if maintained and available, but otherwise by “bum” crews composed of extra men from that subdivision.

 

Crews on interdivisional runs may be used en route to perform miscellaneous work train service for which an arbitrary allowance is paid.  They will not be used in other wrecker or work train service, except as provided in this Agreement.

 

A crew in interdivisional service may handle the wrecker provided the wrecker is to be handled through a former away-from-home terminal.  When the wrecker is handled by a crew in interdivisional service, such crew will be relieved by a Short Pool Crew (or “bum” crew) at end of tour of duty if another crew is required.  The crew in interdivisional service that handled the wrecker will not be turned back to its originating terminal but will work or deadhead to the opposite terminal.  When the wrecker is released, it may be returned to its assigned terminal (if interdivisional service) by using an interdivisional crew called to work or deadhead to the wrecker and return it (deadheading and working to be in one and the same direction) to its assigned terminal.

 

 Except when required by law, crews called in interdivisional service will not be tied up between terminals of their runs or turned back to initial terminal, except when their movement is prevented (e.g., engine failure and derailment of their train) or their route to destination is obstructed or impassable (e.g., wrecks and washouts).  Such crews tied up under the Hours of Service Act (as amended) will be towed or deadheaded to the destination terminal as soon as possible, except that when their train’s movement is prevented or their route is obstructed or impassable, they may be required to handle train to destination.

 

If a relief crew is to be used and the tie-up (as provided above) occurred before the interdivisional crew traversed the initial subdivision, the relief crew shall be a Long Pool Crew called in interdivisional service out of the originating terminal.  If the tie-up occurred after the interdivisional crew traversed the initial subdivision, the relief crew shall be a Short Pool Crew from the seniority district on which the tie-up occurs.  If Short Pools are not maintained, or where maintained but not available, a “bum” crew made up of extra men will be called and used.  This provision shall not prevent the Carrier from having crews exchange or consolidate trains en route. 

 

Existing pay rules relating to tied up en route and towed or deadheaded into terminal shall apply.

 

11. Crews or individuals deadheading in interdivisional service will be paid under present agreement rules, except that all deadhead mileage over 100 miles will be paid at the deadhead rate established for the first 100 miles.

 

12. When a crew in interdivisional service is involved in an occurrence in regard to which a disciplinary investigation is held, the Carrier may hold the investigation at other than the crew’s home terminal but in such event will allow deadhead pay to and from the point at which the investigation is conducted, regardless of whether or not the individuals are held to be responsible for the occurrence (i.e., issued discipline).  In such event, the Carrier will also furnish or arrange for train or passenger vehicle transportation to and from the investigation point.  If required to remain overnight at the investigation point, the crew will be permitted to obtain lodging at the designated facility at Carrier expense, and in such event, will also be entitled to reasonable meal expense (supported by receipts) actually incurred at the investigation point.  Compensation for time lost or time for attending the investigation will be determined under existing agreement rules; provided, however, that deadhead pay for going to and from the investigation and pay for attending the investigation, shall be included in computing loss of earnings.

 

13. The conditions and provisions contained in the May 13, 1971 National Agreement shall apply, including but not limited to Article VIII, Section 1.  In connection with Section 1(d) thereof, the Carrier will notify a Long Pool Crew when they are called (for service or deadhead) if it is intended that they will stop to eat en route; otherwise, they are to understand that they will run through without stopping to eat and will be entitled to the $1.50 allowance.

 

14. Lodging will be furnished at the existing agreed upon facilities when interdivisional crews are tied up at other than their home terminal, under the provisions of existing agreements.

 

Upon request of a General Chairman or the Director of Labor Relations (other representatives may later be designated by mutual understanding), conference will be held immediately in regard to the rotation of the Long Pool Crews or equalization of mileage so as to avoid an undue accumulation of mileage by crews of one seniority district and to otherwise provide for the orderly equalization of mileage.

 

16. (a) Any (separately or collectively) of these interdivisional service operations not now being operated may be inaugurated upon 15 days’ advance written notice by the Carrier.  The crews that are to protect interdivisional service (and the Short Pool Crews, if any are to be initially established) will be bulletined (or rebulletined, for existing pool crews) prior to the inauguration of such service so that assignments are effective the day before such service is to be inaugurated.

 

(b) An Engineer-Pilot will be furnished only to Long Pool Crews initially assigned to protect interdivisional service, for that portion of the run that is not on their seniority district, until the Engineer on the crew has made 2 round trips, as Engineer and/or as Fireman.  The Carrier may, if it desires, work the Engineer-Pilots through to the crews’ destination on a continuous miles or hours basis.

 

In the event an Engineer who is in service on the date this interseniorty district service is begun is required to “learn” that portion of the road which is not on his seniority district as a condition to his taking assignment on an interdivisional crew or an extra board protecting same, he shall be paid for time spent in such “learning the road” the same as if he were working.

 

17. “Crews,” as used herein, is intended to apply only to the Engineer on the crew.

 

This Agreement cancels and supersedes any other Agreement previously made in connection with interdivisional service on these 4 territories, except the May 13, 1971 National Agreement, the Award of Arbitration Board No. 323 and the July 13, 1973 Agreement (copy attached).

 

Signed at Springfield, Missouri, November 22, 1976 and effective December 1, 1976. 1

 

FOR: ST. LOUIS-SAN FRANCISCO RAILWAY COMPANY

BY: (signed) J. J. Ratcliff

Director of Labor Relations

 

FOR: BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS

BY: (signed) R. E. Dean

General Chairman