Calling Demoted Engineers
The following calling rule is being implemented by the Crew Desk, under instructions from Labor Relations:
Engineers, working in demoted status will be called in seniority order. If that employee doesn't answer the phone, he/she will be bypassed to the next senior demoted person. If any ensuing employee answers the phone, but empowers him/herself not to take the call due to the fact they were not rested, based upon information provided to them, and had not reasonably expected to go to work, the following will happen;
The employee empowering will be placed in the "layoff on call status".
The employee will be laid off for 24 hours.
The employee will be placed to the bottom of the extra board upon completion of lay off.
The reasons for this change, under the instructions of Labor Relations, and confirmed in a phone conversation with Ms. Kathy Johnson, AVP Crew Support, Topeka KS, are:
Because they can.
Because they want to.
Because, evidently, safety takes a back seat to "being in charge".
Ms. Johnson assures this committee that they are truly committed to safety, but they want a new agreement, other than the A-700 rules to allow them to call demoted engineers.
Ms. Johnson was indignant when it was suggested that the new "policy" was a subtle threat to any demoted person that if they didn't take this call, they would suffer financially.
Ms. Johnson stated that there was no threat there. When questioned why the policy was changed from simply bypassing the employee who was not rested, to forcing them to be laid off on call, she stated the decision came from labor relations.
The reasons why we will prevail are:
We have no rule requiring a demoted engineer to be laid off if he/she empowers him/herself. This has been upheld by carrier officers for over a year.
We have no rule requiring an employee to be laid off for 24 hours.
We have never required the carrier to call demoted engineers in seniority order. This will change immediately.
This is an unsafe practice. There are financial threats implied. Other agencies will become involved at the instigation of this committee.
What to do if you are laid off on call, after empowering yourself. (Remember, common sense applies here as to "reasonably expecting to go to work").
Submit a timeslip for all work lost, in the craft whose board you are protecting, for being taken off the board. You will be required to provide the documentation for the missed work.
Submit timeslips for any work being lost in the craft whose board you are protecting, for being held off the board over 12 hours. Again, you will need to provide the documentation.
Fill out an unsafe condition report each time you feel you are pressured to work, when called, but not expecting to go to work in a reasonable time, due to the threat of lost wages. Copies to the local committee of adjustments.