Article 4
Rates of Pay

FREIGHT SERVICE

  1. RATES OF PAY

Established rates of pay will apply in the following classes of service with rate sheets furnished the General Chairman by the Carrier as new rates become applicable. Rates to include cost of living adjustment in accordance with applicable agreements.

  1. Through freight, mixed or helper service - operating with a fireman-helper.

  2. Through freight, mixed or helper service - operating without a fireman-helper.

  3. Local freight, mine run, work, construction, wrecking or helper-switcher service operating with a fireman-helper.

  4. Local freight, mine run, work, construction, wrecking or helper-switcher service operating without a fireman-helper.

  5. Road Switcher - operating with a fireman-helper.

  6. Road Switcher - operating without a fireman-helper.

NOTE 1: MINIMUM BASIC DAILY RATES IN FREIGHT SERVICE

The minimum rates for engineers used in all classes of service paying freight rates shall be the rates presently applicable to locomotives weighing less than 140,000 pounds on drivers.

WORKING WITHOUT A FIREMAN (Side Letter #3 BLE 1996 Agreement)

The existing differential of $6 per basic day, currently payable to engineers working without firemen, shall be incorporated into the basic daily rates of pay of engineers working without firemen and will be subject to wage increases subsequent to this agreement.  The differential of $.06 per mile for miles in excess of the number of miles encompassed in the basic day, payable to engineers working without firemen, is incorporated into the overmile rate for engineers working without firemen and will be subject to wage increases subsequent to this agreement.  The standard reduced crew allowance payable to engineers working with a reduced train crew and without a fireman under Side Letter 20 of the 1986 BLE National Agreement is only payable to engineers receiving the special allowance under Article V of the 1991 National Implementing Agreement.

ARTICLE V - SPECIAL PAY DIFFERENTIAL (1991 BLE Agreement.)

Section 1 - Payment

(a) Effective July 29, 1991, a differential of $12.00 per basic day in freight and yard service, and 12 cents per mile for miles in excess of the number of miles encompassed in the basic day in freight service, will be payable to eligible engineers working assignments without a fireman provided the conditions described below are met.

(b) Effective January 1, 1995, such differential will be increased to $15.00 per basic day, and to 15 cents per mile for miles in excess of the number of miles encompassed in the basic day.

Section 2 - Conditions

(a) Under the applicable agreement governing the consist of train crews:

(i) a member of the train crew is entitled to receive a productivity fund payment, or per-trip payment in lieu thereof, and

(ii) the carrier is required to make a productivity fund payment for that trip or tour of duty.

(b) The engineer must have:

(i) an engineer's seniority date no longer than the date that determines eligibility for "protected employees" receiving productivity fund payments in that territory, or

(ii) been a "protected employee" under a crew consist agreement, and was subsequently promoted to engineer on the same railroad.

(c) This Article is not applicable on a carrier that has an agreement with the organization adjusting the compensation of engineers in response to the change in compensation relationships between engineers and other members of the crew brought about by crew consist agreements unless the appropriate BLE General Chairman elects to adopt this Article in lieu of the pay adjustments (including personal leave days) provided in such agreement.  Such election must be exercised on or before December 20, 1991.  If such election is made, the provisions of this Article will become effective on that property on January 1, 1992, however, such local agreements concerning matters other than pay adjustments shall be retained.

ARTICLE 11 - SPECIAL PAY DIFFERENTIAL AND COST OF LIVING PAYMENTS (BLE 1996 Agreement)

PART A - SPECIAL PAY DIFFERENTIAL

Section 1 - Employees who meet the conditions specified in Article V of the 1991 National Implementing Document will continue to receive the frozen differential of $15 per basic day and 15C per mile for miles in excess of the miles encompassed in the basic day under Article V.

Section 2 - Employees working as engineers who meet the conditions specified in Article V Section 1, but not Sections 2(a) and 2(b) of the 1991 National Implementing Document will, as of the earlier of July 1, 1996 or fourteen days after the ratification of this agreement, receive the frozen differential of $15 per basic day and $.15 per mile for miles in excess of the miles encompassed in the basic day.

COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT EFFECTIVE 12/31/99

The Award of Arbitration Board No. 559 contained a provision for a Cost-of-Living Adjustment to become effective December 31, 1999 and to be rolled into the basic daily rates of pay.

The formula for this C-O-L-A, set forth in Article II, Part B and Article II, Part C, Section 1 (e), produced 60-cent per hour cost of living adjustment. This amount will be offset by a 4-cent per hour health and welfare contribution so that the net allowance to be rolled into the basic daily rates will be 56-cents per hour.

(Per Side Letter #2 BLE 1996 Agreement)

Cost of Living Adjustment will apply to all miles run in excess of a basic day. 

Article V Section 2 - Conditions
(BLE 1991 Implementing Agreement)

(a) Under the applicable agreement governing the consist of train crews:

(i) a member of the train crew is entitled to receive a productivity fund payment, or per-trip payment in lieu thereof, and

(ii) the carrier is required to make a productivity fund payment for that trip or tour of duty.

(b) The engineer must have:

(i) an engineer's seniority date no later than the date that determines eligibility for "protected employees" receiving productivity fund payments in that territory, or

(ii) been a "Protected employee" under a crew consist agreement, and was subsequently promoted to engineer on the same railroad.

(c) This Article is not applicable on a carrier that has an agreement with the organization adjusting the compensation of engineers in response to the change in compensation relationships between engineers and other members of the crew brought about by crew consist agreements unless the appropriate BLE General Chairman elects to adopt this Article in lieu of the pay adjustments (including personal leave days) provided in such agreement.  Such election must be exercised on or before December 20, 1991.  If such election is made, the provisions of this Article will become effective on that property on January 1, 1992, however, such local agreements concerning matters other than pay adjustments shall be retained.

LOCAL FREIGHT SERVICE 

B. GUARANTEES

1. Regularly assigned local freight engineers working less than the calendar working days of the month will be guaranteed not less than 100 miles per day for each calendar working day, excepting for days when the line is broken through the Act of Providence.

Calendar working days shall be construed to include legal holidays.

NOTE: Sunday not included as calendar working days under the provisions of this rule. (BLE Agreement Only)

NOTE: UTU Engineer & Fireman Agreement provides that Sunday is a work day.

ROAD SWITCHER (Effective May 1, 1980)

2. Regularly assigned "Road Switcher" crews working 5,6, or 7 days per week will be guaranteed not less than 100 miles per day for every day the assignment is bulletined for, except for day or days where the line is broken through Act of Providence (When the line is obstructed by wrecks, washouts, or similar emergencies.)

WORK TRAIN SERVICE

3. Engineers on work trains tied up on line of road will be guaranteed not less that 100 miles or 8 hours for each calendar working day held for such service. Sunday not included as calendar day under the provisions of this rule unless on duty, or held at tie up point and not allowed to go home. (If not advised he is to be held prior to off duty time on Saturday, engineer will not be considered held on Sunday).

Engineers on work trains will be considered on duty every week day, regardless of the weather, except when relieved at home terminal.

HELPER SERVICE
 (Applicable to Southern Only)

4. Engineers regularly assigned to helper service will be guaranteed a day's pay for each calendar working day.

(1986 AGREEMENT) SECTION 5 DUPLICATE TIME PAYMENTS

A. Duplicate time payments, including arbitraries and special allowances that are expressed in time or miles or fixed amounts of money, shall not apply to employees whose seniority in engine or train service is established on or after July 1, 1986.

B. Duplicate time payments, including arbitraries and special allowances that are expressed in time or miles or fixed amounts of money, not eliminated by this agreement shall not be subject to general, cost of living, or other forms of wage increases.

ENGINEER GUARANTEED EXTRA BOARD

Effective 7/1/99: Southern (Road Bi-Weekly) $1899.80  
Southern (Yard Bi-Weekly) $1489.60

(2) Guaranteed Extra Boards

(a) Carriers that do not have the right to establish additional extra boards or discontinue an extra board shall have that right.

(b) Upon thirty days' advance notice to the appropriate general chairman, a carrier may establish additional extra boards.  Upon request of the general chairman, a meeting will be held to discuss the proposed action.  However, this shall not service to delay the establishment of any extra board.

(c) When an extra board is established under this rule it will, unless the general chairman is notified otherwise, protect all jobs on that seniority district whose laying off and reporting points are closer to the location of the extra board than to the locations of other extra boards on that seniority district.

(d) The carrier will regulate the number of employees, if any, assigned to such extra boards and will have the right to discontinue such boards.

(e) While on an extra board established under this rule, each employee will be guaranteed the equivalent of 3000 miles at the basic through freight rate for such calendar month unless the employee is assigned to an exclusive yard service extra board in which event the guarantee will be the equivalent of 22 days' pay at the minimum 5-day yard rate for each calendar month.  All earnings during the 15 days will apply against the guarantee.  The guarantees of employees who are on the extra board for part of a calendar month will be pro rated.

(f) Except as hereinafter provided, if an employee is suspended as a result of disciplinary action, lays off at his own request with permission, is not available for personal reasons, or misses a call, earnings lost as a result thereof will be deducted from the semi-monthly guarantee.  Unless the needs of the service dictate otherwise, employees assigned to an extra board which protects yard service exclusively may lay off for a maximum of two days per month without the earnings lost as a result thereof being deducted from the semimonthly guarantee.

(g) The maximum number of guaranteed extra boards that can be in operation on a carrier at any one time under this provision is three in the territory of each regular source of supply point on that carrier.

(h) No existing guaranteed extra board will be supplanted by a guaranteed extra board under this rule if the sole reason for the change is to reduce the guarantee applicable to employees on the extra board.

(i) This rule will not be construed as restricting any existing rights of a carrier to establish or discontinue extra boards.  The rights conferred by this rule are in addition to preexisting rights.

This letter of understanding shall not apply on carriers that have agreements with the organization adjusting the compensation of engineers in response to the change in compensation relationships between engineers and other members of the crew brought about by crew consist agreements unless the appropriate BLE General Chairman elects to adopt this letter agreement in lieu of the compensation adjustments provided in such agreement.  Such election must be exercised on or before 45 days following the date of this Agreement.  If such election is made, the provisions of such local agreements concerning matters other than compensation shall be retained.

Where the General Chairman does not elect to substitute this letter of understanding as provided for in the paragraph above and, therefore, the local agreement remains in effect in its entirety and such local agreement contains a moratorium provision, it is agreed that any special allowance provided for therein that is subject to being increased by general wage increases shall be excluded from the provisions of Article 1, Section 8(a), Article II, Section 1(b) and (d), and Article IV, Section 5(a) and (b).

 

This page last updated: 03/06/2005