Proposed System Teamwork and Responsibility Training (START) Program

Proposed System Teamwork and Responsibility
Training (START) Program

In line with our mutual goals of fostering trust and cooperation, providing safe and efficient service to our customers and communities, and providing employees the opportunity to reach their full potential, NS, the UTU, and the BLE mutually pledge their support to a new policy, System Teamwork and Responsibility Training (START).

General Program Outline

1. The new policy is designed to provide positive learning experiences, training, and employee growth opportunities in a cooperative environment.

2. The policy is effective January 1, 2000.

3. Rule infractions are divided into three categories: minor, serious, and major. Only for major offenses will employees be removed from service pending a formal hearing.

4. All employees will begin from the initial phase(s) of the policy. Prior records will be taken into consideration in the handling of a serious or major offense.

5. The policy is not intended to alter an employee's right to request a formal hearing.

6. The policy is not intended to alter the application of the policy on Alcohol and Drugs or the application of Rule G.

7. Employees will not be disciplined for failing to immediately report an injury, if, as soon as the injury manifests itself, the injury is reported. If the employee fails to report the injury as soon as it manifests itself, the situation will be handled as a serious offense.

8. Employees will not be subject to a formal discipline hearing for sustaining an injury. This does not preclude a fact finding hearing to determine the root cause of the accident. Rules violations resulting in injury will be handled as either minor, serious, or major offenses as appropriate under the new policy.

Minor Offenses

1. Employees will not be subject to formal discipline for minor offenses unless the employee has three (3) such offenses in a three (3) year period in which case the offense will be handled in the same manner as a serious offense.

2. Minor offenses will be handled by initiating the alternative handling process within three days jointly by the local chairman or employee and the Division Superintendent or his designee who will utilize alternative handling such as training and education to correct mistakes, reinforce proper procedures and emphasize the importance of conforming to the safety and operating rules. Examples of the types of alternative handling that the local chairman and Superintendent or his designee may deem to be appropriate include: •providing additional on-the-job training •providing other educational experiences that relate to the offense •requiring the employee to conduct briefings with other employees relative to the incident and proper performance

Serious Offenses

1. An employee will be subject to no more than a thirty (30) day deferred suspension for a single serious offense within a three (3) year period. The employee will be offered, within three days of the event, a conference with the Division Superintendent or his designee and the local chairman or employee to explore alternative solutions.

2. An employee will be subject to no more than a thirty (30) day actual suspension for a second serious offense within a three (3) year period.

3. An employee will be subject to dismissal for a third serious offense within a three (3) year period.

4. Formal discipline assessed for a serious offense may be converted to alternative handling, if the division Superintendent, in consultation with the local chairman, deems it appropriate.

5. Examples of serious offenses could include speeding, rule violations resulting in revocation of locomotive engineer certificate under CFR 49 Part 240, and safety or operating rule violations that result in railroad property damage that meet or exceed the FRA reportability standard.

6. Employees whose engineer's certificate is revoked for a period that is longer than any discipline that may be imposed may exercise their seniority to another craft during the period of revocation.

UTU, NS expect to finalize new
Proposed START policy on
discipline that promotes trust, cooperation