Leo
Thanks for the explanation – it is what we would call “conditions
of service” in NZ .
Rupert
From:
CBQ@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of qutlx1@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, 2 April 2013 2:14
p.m.
To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] BN Downers
Grove/Belmont derailment
I will preface this post with the
statement I worked on both sides of the RR and do not wish to start a debate
over the righteous of arbitrairies. There were "sharpshooters" on
both sides of the table when it came to arbitraries/work rules.
Recall my post of a few days ago
discussing the 1888 strike and the conditions crews worked under. As time went
on the operating unions and carrier mgmts negotiated work agreements that were
codified in what was commonly called the "schedule." Each craft had a
work agreement book. In these books were numbered rules specifying what
additional pay would be allowed to a crew when certain events happened.
These would be over and above the mileage run or hours worked. They were
designed to protect craft lines and give mgmt an incentive to increase
employment. These books are routinely available on ebay and at our meets.
The best way I can describe the
purpose is to say what my general contractor told me when he built my
house. "I can do anything you want me to do as long as you understand it
will cost you." That's the quickest, easiest way to describe an arbitrary.
Keep in mind that men came to work for
the RR to make a living, not watch trains. So when their work day was
lengthened or additional duties added on they expected to be paid for the extra
work or time spent on the property. Road crews in particular were paid by the
mile so the quicker one covered miles the more he made. Sitting around
was money lost,so many of the arbitraries for road crews focused on incenting
mgmt to use crews efficiently.
There have been sides drawn for decades
over whether the arbitraries were abuse of union power or whether they worked
to offset mgmt abuse of the crews. To my knowledge the arbitraries as they used
to be known are long gone.
For the day in question two of the
arbitraries that were filed were "runarounds". That is two crews
ordered behind our crew that day were used on trains that left the terminal
before we did. That meant that our crew was now "farther out" or
deeper on the waiting list to go back to work in the future. The rule,arbitrary,penalty
was in place to incent mgmt to use crews in order.
A straight forward example of a yard
crews arbitrary would be "air pay" for coupling air hoses on cuts of
cars. This work was the responsibility of the carmen of the mechanical dept so
when a yard master had a switch crew couple up air hoses there was a small
penalty. Another simple yard arbitrary was the penalty lunch period for not
being allowed to stop work to eat w/in a specified period of starting the
shift.
Arbitrairies were submitted on timeslips
but were not automatically paid as mgmt could take exception,turn down the
claim and then a entire procedure was in place to resolve the claim.
Resolution was one of the main duties of the local chairman of the
lodge, who was also a full time RR employee.
Hope this helps w/o starting a tempest.