In short Rule G in the rule book prohibits the use of alcohol and drugs while
on duty or while subject to duty. Here are a couple cases.
In 1956 the General Chrmn writes a confidential note to Bill Hall who is the
Local Chrmn for trainman at Aurora. He advises that he has information "from
Mgmt" at the general office "below the 13th floor" that Mgmt is hearing
reports of drinking by the suburban trnm even as to the location of the
watering hole. He pleads with Bill to put the word out to "layoff the stuff"
or we'll have more Rule G cases.
He is referring to a Condr 'K" who has just been fired for rule G violation
on the dinkies.
In 1946 a different Condr 'K' and its not Kereven, Kennedy or Krekan is
assigned to work train at Oregon for the week. After a quite couple days of
working 10 or 11 hrs of ditching and then dining in the w/c near the depot he
decides to seek a few refreshments "uptown" on this night. A few must have
turned into many as he's picked up for drunkeness on his walk back to the w/c
and tossed into jail for the night. Early next morning the Oregon agent shows
up and vouches for 'K"s character and he is released on his word to return
that evening to resolve the issue.
So he goes to work(about 2 hrs late) and returns that evening pleading guilty
to the charge and paying an $11.40 fine. Case closed and the next day and
balance of week everything is fine and assumed to have been quietly covered.
But someone at the depot or on the track crew lets word out and theres an
investigation. Condr K denies being drunk and will not state one way or the
other if he went into a tavern saying "its none of the companies business
what I do off duty".
But the real problem is that he turned in a timeslip for the day in question
for the regular starting time even though he was 2 hrs late. Later, a couple
days before receiving his notice to appear he submits a corrected timeslip.
Which he states at the investigation was simply an oversight he corrected per
the agreements.
He is demoted to brkmn. It takes many pleadings for leniency from the local
and General Chrmn and 3 years time before Mgmt reinstates K to Condr.
Leo
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