 |
Dennis Pierce General Chairman BNSF/BN Northlines/MRL 817.338.9010 |
Pat Williams |
Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen |
| Austin
Morrison General Chairman BNSF/FWD.JTD.C&S 806.358.9025 |
Rick Gibbons General Chairman C&S BNSF/SLSF.MNA 4 17.887.5 267 |
IBT Rail Conference |
Mr. John Fleps
April 29, 2006
Vice President Labor Relations
Re: Labor Relations Web Site
The BNSF Railway Company
Sent via USPS
Post Office Box 961030
Fort Worth, Texas 76161-0030
Dear Mr. Fleps:
The collective BLET GC’s met in OKC on April 5, 2006 to discuss issues that
concern each of us on our respective properties. One of the issues that concern
us all is the information being published on the Labor Relations web site.
In most instances your department has taken positions of exactly how the Carrier
views collective bargaining agreements to be interpreted, and to be executed by
payroll, as well as other field operations personnel without regard for the
interpretation of the affected General Committees. Following these types of
publication we have observed differing views by not only your department, but
those in the field even when it is in black and white. Therefore the efforts put
forth on the web site are essentially null and void before the ink is dry so to
speak.
Representational contract language, such as but not limited to the following, is
contained in each of our respective collective bargaining agreements.
“The General Committee of Adjustment, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, will represent all locomotive engineers in the making of contracts, rates, rules, working agreements, and interpretations thereof. All controversies affecting locomotive engineers will be handled in accordance with the interpretation of the Engineers contract as agreed upon between the Committee of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Management.”
Therefore, we respectfully ask that any information being
distributed directly between your department and the membership we represent by
what ever means, be directed to the appropriate General Chairmen for review and
concurrence before any such interpretations are disseminated. Absent concurrence
of the Organization, this is to advise that the Organization does not view the
positions unilaterally posted on the Carrier web site to be of any precedential
value, nor do we agree that those positions accurately affect the intent of both
parties.
In addition, we the undersigned have read your exchange with UTU on so called
“direct dealing”. For that reason, we are copying National President Hahs on
this correspondence for his review.
Sincerely,
/s/ A. Morrison
/s/ DR Pierce
BLET General Chairman
BLET General Chairman
/s/ P. Williams
/s/ RC Gibbons
BLET General Chairman
BLET General Chairman
CC:
Don Hahs
Carl Ice
All Local Chairmen