LOCAL CHAIRMAN REPORT

Five of the six UP General Chairmen have entered into a Letter of Understanding (LOU) with the Carrier covering the PEB recommendations and the Tentative Agreement specifically contained in Articles V, VI, and VII, for Scheduled Days Off, Automatic Bid Scheduling, and the creation of Self-Supporting Pools/Extra Boards including regulations thereof. In the event of the TA ratifies or is enforced upon us by Congress, this letter prevents the Carrier from serving notice on a single issue contained in the TA. As we have toured the committee, it has been expressed to us that quality of life remains at the top of everyone's list to restore order in a PSR world. This letter guarantees that the parties will be required to negotiate Articles V, VI, VII together and not handled separately as the TA seems to suggest, and must include scheduled days off. This letter also opens the door to negotiate away from home meal allowances as an additional item.

The Letter of Understanding

⟩ LOU - PEB 250 Local Referral - UP executed - with BLET edits_encrypted_

Carriers are specifically cited for what they may pursue in Articles V, VI, VII. (PG. 19,20)

This will confirm our understanding regarding notices that may be served by the parties under Articles V, VI and VII:

Union Pacific

Electronic/Automated Bid: Union Pacific may serve notices regarding the subjects in Article VI to eliminate displacement and notification times.
Self-Supporting Pools & Pool/Extra Board Regulation: Union Pacific may serve notices regarding the subjects in Article VII except it may not serve notice with respect to Pool Regulation where Pool Regulation, as proposed in Article VII, is already in place by permanent agreement.
Scheduled Off Days: BLET may serve notice regarding the subjects in Article V except where scheduled days off are already in place by permanent agreement.

The letter of understanding in the top of this section states.

It is understood with regard to the serving of notices under these Articles, the parties are free to negotiate terms that fulfill the purpose and intent of the work rule proposals, not necessarily adopt the specific language written therein.
The parties recognize a requirement to negotiate locally regarding the subjects identified in the three proposals - scheduled days off, automated bid scheduling, and pools and extra boards referred by the PEB for local handling.
The parties agree that these three issues are intertwined on this property. Accordingly, we do not consider the TA to require these matters to be handled separately from one another, nor do we consider the TA language to prescribe a particular outcome. In other words, the intent of the parties is to negotiate an agreement specific to this property.
As such, the implementation of self-sustaining pools and/or electronic bid systems must be accompanied by scheduled off-days.

Articles V, VII, VII

ARTICLE V – SCHEDULED DAYS OFF

Any General Committee seeking to establish rules creating voluntary assigned days off in thru freight road service shall serve a written Notice on the Carrier of its desire to establish voluntary assigned days off agreement rules. The Notice shall specify the rules the Union proposes to establish and the conditions, if any, which it proposes shall govern the establishment of such rules. The Carrier may respond with its own Notice specifying the rules that the Carrier proposes to establish and the conditions, if any, which it proposes shall govern the establishment of such rules.

The General Chairman, or their designee, and the Carrier’s designated official will meet within thirty (30) days of the initial Union Notice to negotiate the terms and conditions of the proposed assigned days off agreement rules. Should the parties reach a tentative agreement, it will be subject to ratification pursuant to the Union’s ratification requirements, to the extent applicable.

If the parties are unable to reach a ratified agreement on assigned days off rules within one hundred eighty (180) days of the initial Union Notice, then either party may submit the matter to final and binding, party‐paid interest arbitration at any time thereafter by written request to the other party. The Arbitration Board shall have jurisdiction to determine whether and how the rules referenced in this Article will be implemented.

The Arbitration Board shall consist of one (1) member appointed by the Union, one (1) member appointed by the Carrier, and a neutral arbitrator, who shall serve as chair of the Board. The neutral arbitrator shall be mutually selected by the parties within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, and a hearing shall be held within sixty (60) days thereafter, subject to the availability of the arbitrator. If the parties are unable to agree on an arbitrator within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, then a list of nine (9) arbitrators shall be obtained from the National Mediation Board and the parties shall strike such list until an arbitrator is chosen with the first strike determined by coin flip or another random method.

The terms of the Board’s decision shall be issued within thirty (30) days following the hearing or submission of post-hearing briefs, if any, and will be final and binding.

If agreements are reached pursuant to this Article either by ratification or arbitration where none previously existed, the Union will have exhausted all rights to serve any notices pursuant to this Article.

ARTICLE VI – AUTOMATED BID SCHEDULING

Each carrier may serve a notice of its intent to implement the Automated Bid Scheduling Agreement described in (a) – (d), below, and, in doing so, may identify any carrier‐specific implementation matters that it believes must be addressed in connection with such implementation. The organization may respond with its own list of carrier‐specific implementation issues that it believes must likewise be addressed.

The General Chairman, or their designee, and the Carrier’s designated official will meet within thirty (30) days of the initial Carrier Notice to negotiate the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement rules. Should the parties reach a tentative agreement, it will be subject to ratification pursuant to the Union’s ratification requirements, to the extent applicable.

(a) Automated Bid Scheduling (ABS)

Automated Bid Scheduling (ABS) will serve as the primary method to assign employees on a regular basis, based on seniority, qualifications and job preferences.
Carriers will maintain a system containing all employees’ assignments, including pools and extra boards, which will be updated as necessary. Employees may update their assignment preferences at the designated time. New assignments will be bulletined or posted.
Employees will be responsible for accessing the system to determine if their assignment has changed.

(b) Submitting Preferences

All employees will be required to electronically file their individual preferences for their assignment(s) on their Automated Bid Application and will specify a sufficient number of preferences to ensure a selection will be granted.
Employees may make changes or update their individual preferences on their Automated Bid Application.

(c) Job Assignments

Assignments awarded will be posted electronically for employees. All employee assignments will be assigned based upon the individual preferences employees submittedon their Automated Bid Applications, qualifications and seniority permitting. It is the employee’s responsibility to be aware of the new assignment (if applicable) and be rested and available to report when required.
Employees changing assignments will protect their assignment until the designated date and time. Employees who are at their home terminal (and not working) will be placed on their new assignment at the designated date and time. Employees on‐duty or not at their home terminal at the start of a new assignment will remain on their previous assignment until returning to their home terminal.
Employees newly assigned to an extra board or pool freight service will be placed at the b ottom of the board/pool at the start of a new assignment or when they return to their home terminal in accordance with their tie‐ up time. If two or more employees have the same tie‐ up time, they will be placed on the board in accordance with their last on‐duty time.

(d) Vacation

Weekly vacations will commence and end at a designated date and time. Employees scheduled to be off for weekly vacation will not have their Automated Bid processed and will not be assigned to a new assignment. Employees returning from weekly vacation will have their Automated Bid Application processed by the system.
Weekly/block vacation will begin at 12:01 a.m. and will end at 11:59 p.m., unless otherwise authorized.

If the parties are unable to reach a ratified agreement on the rules referenced in this Article within one hundred eighty (180) days of the initial carrier notice, then either party may submit the matter to final and binding, party‐paid interest arbitration at any time thereafter by written request to the other party. The Arbitration Board shall have jurisdiction to determine whether and how the rules referenced in this Article will be implemented.

The Arbitration Board shall consist of one (1) member appointed by the Union, one (1) member appointed by the Carrier, and a neutral arbitrator, who shall serve as chair of the Board. The neutral arbitrator shall be mutually selected by the parties within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, and a hearing shall be held within sixty (60) days thereafter, subject to the availability of the arbitrator. If the parties are unable to agree on an arbitrator within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, then a list of nine (9) arbitrators shall be obtained from the National Mediation Board and the parties shall strike such list until an arbitrator is chosen with the first strike determined by coin flip or another random method.

The terms of the Board’s decision shall be issued within thirty (30) days following the hearing or submission of post-hearing briefs, if any, and will be final and binding. If agreements are reached pursuant to this Article either by ratification or arbitration where none previously existed, the Carrier will have exhausted all rights to serve any notices pursuant to this Article.

ARTICLE VII – POOLS AND EXTRA BOARD

Each carrier may serve a notice of its intent to implement some or all of the items below and, in doing so, may identify any carrier‐specific implementation matters that it believes must be addressed in connection with such implementation. The organization may respond with its own list of carrier‐specific implementation issues that it believes must likewise be addressed.

The General Chairman, or their designee, and the Carrier’s designated official will meet within thirty (30) days of the initial carrier’s notice to negotiate the terms and conditions of the proposed agreement rules. Should the parties reach a tentative agreement, it will be subject to ratification pursuant to the Union’s ratification requirements, to the extent applicable.

(a) self supporting pool

Pools will be converted to a system under which pool vacancies are primarily protected within that pool
Pools will operate on a first in/first out basis unless otherwise agreed to by a carrier and labor organization

(b) Pool and extra board regulation

Pool service will be regulated based on a target number of starts that takes the length of run into consideration
There will be a predetermined time period during which the number of starts is tabulated for use in the carrier’s calculation of the requisite number of employees in the pool
There will be a predetermined time period for predicting the future number of pool starts utilizing technology
There will be a process for automatic pool adjustment to ensure consistency with the requirements and intent of the Rail Safety Improvement Act (RSIA), full‐time employee availability and fatigue abatement
Pools will operate on a first in/first out basis, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties
The carrier may abolish or establish road, yard or combination extra boards which will be regulated by the carrier based on the needs of service

(c) Workforce predictability and flexibility

In conjunction with adoption of the above listed in Paragraph A and/or Paragraph B above, new agreements will provide for one or more of the following:
1. Opportunity for employees to observe rest outside the requirements of the Rail Safety Improvement Act
2. A procedure under which employees may trade assignments
3. A procedure under which employees may receive a pre‐arranged layoff

If the parties are unable to reach a ratified agreement on the rules referenced in this Article within one hundred eighty (180) days of the initial carrier notice, then either party may submit the matter to final and binding, party‐paid interest arbitration at any time thereafter by written request to the other party. The Arbitration Board shall have jurisdiction to determine whether and how the rules referenced in this Article will be implemented.

The Arbitration Board shall consist of one (1) member appointed by the Union, one (1) member appointed by the Carrier, and a neutral arbitrator, who shall serve as chair of the Board. The neutral arbitrator shall be mutually selected by the parties within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, and a hearing shall be held within sixty (60) days thereafter, subject to the availability of the arbitrator. If the parties are unable to agree on an arbitrator within ten (10) days of the request for arbitration, then a list of nine (9) arbitrators shall be obtained from the National Mediation Board and the parties shall strike such list until an arbitrator is chosen with the first strike determined by coin flip or another random method.

The terms of the Board’s decision shall be issued within thirty (30) days following the hearing or submission of post-hearing briefs, if any, and will be final and binding.

If agreements are reached pursuant to this Article either by ratification or arbitration where none previously existed, the Carrier will have exhausted all rights to serve any notices pursuant to this Article.

This is a list of captains I will be using for a text and calling tree as more information becomes available.

Seth Facer
(208) 705-2103
facermtncoalroller@gmail.com

Troy Lish
(208) 870-5128
tlish001@gmail.com

Todd Dueling
(208) 241-3819
tdueldog@gmail.com

Alan Humphries
(208) 241-1125
jagfan@ida.net

Jason Hoffa
(208) 705-6152
Jhoffa2@icloud.com

Richard Davis
(208) 241-5019
73rdavis@gmail.com

Kyle hall
(208) 339-0528
hallkyle@hotmail.com

Kevin Dawson
1 (208) 244-1894
kevindawson214@gmail.com

Brandon Devore
(208) 251-2297
critrgitr1@gmail.com

Mitch Sorrensen
+1 (208) 221-1183
mitchelglenn@gmail.com

Casey Rogers
(208) 241-9153
caseyp483@yahoo.com

Randy Skinner
(208) 390-9493
skinner.ras@gmail.com

Information for clarification in the event self help is utilized.

⟩ 2022 Strike FAQs 2022-09-09

⟩ Strike Instructions 2022

BLET Division 228

LOCAL CHAIRMAN REPORT

(ALL LINKS WILL BE UNDERLINED. PRESS OR CLICK TO OPEN LINK)

AGREEMENTS AND CLAIM TEMPLATES

CLAIM APPEALS AND PROCESS

PREARRANGED PL/LV AWARDS

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE INFO

ALL AGREEMENTS WILL BE MOVING TO THE WRGCA WEBSITE. ACCESS WILL ONLY BE GRANTED TO BLET MEMBERS. PLEASE CREATE AN ACCOUNT AT LINK BELLOW

https://wrgca.com/membership-join/membership-registration/

11-4 NEWS

(11-4 CURRENTLY DELAYED FOR P3)

11-4 WORK RULES

SCHEDULE

PAY EXAMPLES

4-1 5-1 Voluntary Rest Agreement

(AGREEMENT USED UNTIL IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN COMPLETED)

2022 NATIONAL AGREEMENT

MEDICAL OCCURRENCES

FOLLOW LINK BELLOW TO SUBMIT FOR ONE OR ALL OF YOUR 3 YEARLY MEDICAL LEAVE OCCURRENCES. REQUESTS MUST BE SUBMITTED 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE APPOINTMENT. APPOINTMENTS MUST BE ON EITHER TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, OR THURSDAY.

(YOU MUST BE A BLET MEMBER TO USE THE WRGCA WEBSITE. CREATE ACCOUNT AT https://wrgca.com/membership-join/membership-registration/)

https://wrgca.com/medical-event-request/

National Agreement, pay rates, Q&A

Natl Handling GCs - 2022-12-01 - 2022 National Agreement

Pay rates will become effective on January 1, 2023, backpay and recognition bonus will be paid in a separate check on January 13, 2023.

In Regards to Articles V, VI, VII of Agreement

Message From WRGCA General Chairman Leyshon