We have previously discussed the widesread practice of Q
brakemen(particularly on the Aurora Div) of giving up their Condrs rights under
Schedule Rule 72. Commonly referred to as "chucking your rights". This was done
to stay on a preferred run or runs when it was time to be promoted to
Condr,which meant starting all over working the least desirable jobs but as
a Condr. Hundreds of men followed this path over the decades so as to stay on
Zephyrs,dinkies and preferred wayfreights rather than go work the Condrs extra
list,etc.
Of course this didnt always completely work out in the 50s,60s and 70s as
passenger jobs came off in droves.
But a question has come to mind, that despite research into the Engineers
schedule, I can't locate the answer. Could a fireman chuck his engineers rights
? Obviously by the 50s this wasn't an option as jobs came off, but in the prior
times ? I checked my stash of seniority lists but do not have enginemans rosters
handy that would answer this query.
Leo Phillipp