Update regarding BNSF Availability Policy

NOTE: The following letter, which we received at the UTU International, describes a situation on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad that needs to be exposed and shared with all railroad employees. UTU thanks Local Chairman Craig A. Evans for his courage in representing members in the face of the BNSF Availability Policy.

Craig A. Evans
Local Chairman - UTU - 951
1725 N Mt. View Dr.
Sheridan, WY 82801

October 25, 1999

Mr. Timothy J. Godsil
Powder River Div. Supt.
111 West First Street
Alliance, Nebraska 69301

RE: Local Chairman's Meeting

Dear Mr. Godsil,

I received your notice of the upcoming Local Chairman's meeting for the North Group and was concerned that claims for missed trips would not be an option to Local Chairmen attending.

In light of all the recent developments the BNSF has implemented which has caused great concern to the UTU 951 members that I represent, I regret to inform you that I will not be able to attend the Local Chairman's meeting on the 10th of November. It is strictly a financial consideration that causes me to decline.

Since our last meeting in May, I've had to lay off 'union business' over the Availability Policy and the problems associated therewith. I've had to lay off 'union business' to attend the Gillette lodging facility inspection.

I've had to lay off 'union business' to keep up with appealing claim declinations that have tripled in volume because timekeeping doesn't seem to want to pay valid claims when our members have provided all the documentation asked of them.

I've had to lay off 'union business' to try and figure out how to save the 8 hour call for the West and East Pools. I'm sure Mr. Athey has kept you abreast of his request for our help. We attempted to document ITD associated with the 8 hour call and possibly find viable solutions that the NOC might be able to implement. It is no news to us that the dispatchers dislike our 8 hour call. Before the merger, their were officers within the Burlington Northern that truly cared that the 8 hour call succeeded. They were not afraid of hurting their careers if they helped out by keeping a thumb on dispatching so that ITD did not get out of hand. They realized that fatigue created accidents. Accidents created cost. Cost is counterproductive. Not being productive hurt stocks. I believe, that the vast majority of our members do not trust Corporate BNSF's alleged sincerity when talk centers around safety, quality of life, work ethics, community spirit, etcetera. Rather, I think that they view it all as hype intended for stock holders. I also think that the average BNSF worker believes that Corporate BNSF would drop every one of these programs in a heart beat if they thought that the press wouldn't crucify them.

BUT, everything that my predecessor has worked so hard for in the past and then passed on to me to protect and improve upon, is now under intense scrutiny because of the dollar. As far as the UTU members in Sheridan are concerned, a price has been put on safety, quality of life, community spirit, etcetera, and they believe that the dollar will win.

As Local Chairman, I made a promise to the men and women of Sheridan to protect the rules and agreements that they work under, and to be a mouth piece for them to BNSF management. I've asked them in our November 3rd meeting if they wanted me to send this letter to you, or to reimburse me to attend the Local Chairman's meeting. In light of all of the adverse events that have been hitting Sheridan lately, they've chosen for me to come to the Local Chairman's meeting if I'm in, but if not, then to bring up our problems with the various departments through the mail or over the phone.

We too have our own financial considerations.

With that in mind, these are the items that I would like to see addressed.

The most recent compromise to 'community spirit' revolves around our 8 hour call. We would like to know how much time we have to monitor an expected decrease in ITD before the threat of canceling our 8 hour call becomes effective. This news would reduce our concern that our joint UTU/BLE efforts have been given more than lip service.

The members would like assurances that the recent 'bubble' of timekeeping problems is a one time incident, that next pay period's earnings statements will completely show all earnings and declinations, and that the BNSF will ensure that timekeeping is properly staffed to issue complete paychecks on time.

I would like to hear what, if anything, the NOC/programmers/crew calling is trying to accomplish concerning a reduction of use with C LOAD as a train symbol for the short pool. We have daily occurrences of trains being left on lineups when they've already loaded, departed, and reported past points hundreds of miles away.

What is the time table for building the complex at Gillette?

What can be done about the continual adjustments to the extra boards on a weekly basis. Our letter of understanding with Terry Taylor specifically pointed out that constant tweaking of the numbers every week does incredible harm to the most junior employees. Once they are cut from a terminal, they have to go to another one where they may or may not be able to make anything more than a few qualifying trips. If they're very lucky, the room that they were renting the week before is still available. Our letter of understanding was never intended for the BNSF to continually abuse the latitude that it gave so that the management could harass those affected. Is it your intention to make it so miserable for these people to have to continually move from terminal to terminal in hopes that they will quit?

Is timekeeping going to ever start actually looking at claim appeals that we send to them, or will we forever receive rubber stamped denials for our efforts??

Suffice it to say that the members that pay me for missed trips out of shortened paydays (tripling of declinations), find that dipping into their pockets for me to attend the Local Chairman's meeting is unacceptable. If I'm going to have to bring up the same problems that were brought up last time, and the time before that, and I am, then how can I convince the membership that it's worthwhile for them to pay me to attend another one? If the company doesn't think it's worthwhile enough to pay the Local Chairman to attend as it does with all of the other departments, then maybe the Powder River Division is trying to get us to be the ones that call end to them?

Maybe I'm coming across a little bitter here, but it seems that ever since the merger, that possibly due to the size of the new company, that it's been going down hill. At least that's the sentiment I carry and so to with the members that I represent.

I will be more than willing to meet with you and the different departments over these and other problems if I am in on the scheduled day.

Respectfully,

Craig Evans
Local Chairman UTU 951