SHORT TURN AROUND SERVICE

 Several individuals have approached me concerning Short Turnaround Service and have asked what they are entitled to when performing this service. Having researched the applicable National Agreements and consulted with the General Chairman, I suggest that you do the following. It is important that we establish a sense of commonality in this and more importantly it is essential that we work as the National Agreements stipulate.

             Short Turnaround service is used for, but not limited to, Wasco Coal Train, Dog Catching, or Bare Table pickup/setout. The following is how each Short Turn Around should be called in accordance with the National Agreements.

            Wasco Coal Train. If you are called for this and are not provided a brakeman, claim a Code IM on your working ticket, account not being provided a brakeman to perform service other than Through Freight Service. (Ensure that you get the Trainmasters initials and state them in your claim). The 1992 Conductor Only Agreement defines Conductor Only Service as “service on through freight trains between terminals.” Using that definition, the Coal Train is not being operated as Through Freight between the terminals. When you are called for this, please print out the brakeman’s extra board and leave it in my box so I can put a claim in for the first out brakeman.

            Dog Catch. If there is a crew on the train, then you are allowed to dog catch this train Conductor only, under the 1992 Crew Consist. If the train has been idle and there is no crew on it, then you are retrieving a stored train, and under the above definition of Conductor Only Service you should have a brakeman called with your train. Ask the trainmaster how long the train has been idle and include that in your claim.

            Bare Table. The same applies to this as the Wasco Coal Train.

            Once you complete your service and return to Bakersfield, you have two options under a Memorandum of Agreement signed October 1995. The first option is to take your turn behind crews (tied up) that are in the terminal at the time you are called for turnaround service. The second option is that, upon request, you can be marked up first out and called for service, subject to the amount of previous duty you had compiled. The draw back to being placed first out is that if a crew is run around you, you are not entitled to a board run around claim, regardless if they make it to the home terminal in the time you had available.

            There is nothing in the National Agreements stipulating that the company will deadhead you back to Fresno upon completion of the Short Turnaround Service. If the company does, then you, and the first out crew at Bakersfield, have been mishandled. Please put in the following claim:

            “Claim one basic day of 130 miles account mishandling by crew office. Upon completion of Short Turnaround Service I was not correctly placed on the AWFHT (board 50), and was instead deadheaded back to my home terminal. The first out conductor on the AWFHT (board 50) is ____________.”