Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

May 8, 2000 File:                                                                                                        Guaranteed Extra Boards

Milton H. Siegele, Jr.
Asst. Vice President/LR
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
2600 Lou Menk Drive
P.O. Box 961030
Fort Worth, TX 76131-0030

Dear Mr. Siegele:

This letter is regarding the carrier’s latest effort in attempting to control guarantee costs on extra boards. It is the position of this office that BNSF has gone beyond realistic controls and has, in fact, decimated our extra boards.

It has come to this office’s attention that at one location on this system in a two week period 48% of engineers’ vacancies were filled with demoted engineers. In another location in which we have sixty engineer assignments, the extra board has been reduced to four engineers. These are just a couple of examples of what is happening across the system.

This office is being appraised that since these latest reductions, engineers are being denied reasonable lay-offs, pool engineers are being required to step up m turn on a daily basis, demoted engineers are unrealistically being required to protect service for which they are not prepared for and trains are setting across the system account callers are unable to locate engineers in a timely manner.

Therefore, please deem this letter as a request to meet to discuss this situation. It would be appreciated if you would have someone from the crew office in attendance who could provide the necessary information to determine whether these accounts are accurate.

In order to have a full understanding of the staffing levels of our extra boards, I would request that the following information be made available for this meeting:

1) The average mileage for engineers assigned to their respective extra boards, included in this mileage all miles made by emergency engineers (engineers used on rest days, demoted engineers, etc.), as required. by agreement.

2) The percentage of engineer vacancies filled by emergency engineers, (location specific) including pool engineers stepped up off of turn.

3) The number of engineer assignments each extra board protects and the respective number of engineers assigned.

Any additional information which will shed light on this situation would be appreciated. Please notify this office of a date and location in which this very disturbing situation may be discussed.

cc: D.M. Dealy, VP/BNSF
     D.M. Hahs, VP/BLE
     T.R. Murphy, GC/BLE
     A.G. Morrison, GC/BLE
     J.D. Mullen, GC/BLE
     All Northline BNSF Local Chairmen