Claim Codes

CO – Company Business

The Company Business claim is used to claim lost wages for being marked off to attend Rules Class, Training Classes, Witness for Company in an Investigation, whenever your marked off per the company you are entitled compensation. There are differences between Engineers Compensation and Conductors Compensation.

CONDUCTORS:
Conductors are due what they missed for being marked off company business.

ENGINEERS:
Engineers since the Implementation of the Predictable Work Schedule (PWS) system.

Engineers in self- sustaining pools engaged in company business will receive the trip rate of their assignment or a $350 `Company Business’ payment, whichever is greater, for the first 24 hours they perform company business beginning from when they otherwise would have been called. For each succeeding 24 hour period, or portion of the 24 hour period, they are engaged in company business engineers will receive the trip rate of their assignment. Compensation for company business ends at the conclusion of the company business and engineers are expected to promptly mark -up for service. The $350 ‘Company Business’ payment will increase to $360.50 effective July 1, 2017; to $371.32 effective July 1, 2018; and $386.17 effective July 1, 2019. Engineers assigned to work /rest extra boards engaged in company business will be compensated lost earnings. These changes to compensation for company business will be effective November 12, 2016.

JR – Jury Duty Claim

Claim the claim and fill in the blanks as required to validate claim on the companies system.

Conductor:
Article 35, Section 3

Engineer:
Article 13, Section 5

Wabash:

Article 50 sec 1

When an employee is summoned for a jury duty and is required to lose time from his assignment as a result thereof, he shall be paid for actual time lost with a maximum of a basic day’s pay at the straight time rate of his position for each calendar day lost less the amount allowed him for jury service for each such day, excepting allowances paid by the court for meals, lodging or transportation subject to the following qualification requirements and limitations:

An employee must furnish the carrier with a statement from the court of jury allowances paid and the days on which jury duty was performed.
The number of days for which jury duty pay shall be paid is limited to a maximum of 60 days in any calendar year.
No jury duty pay will be allowed for any day as to which the employee is entitled to vacation or holiday pay.

NU – Called and Not Used

NU CLAIM = Called and Not Used (sent home or call busted)

Claiming * hours pay due to being notified my call was busted. Called for train **L*** on **/**/** and was notified at (enter date and time notified) train had been cancelled. Article ** of the (BLET/SMART) Agreement states: (enter applicable agreement language. No need to type word for word. Get the specifics. Agreement number and how much you are due and why. Be sure to note if you called the crew dispatcher to be placed to the bottom of the board/pool and receive 8 hours pay with the date and time that you called.)

CONDUCTORS:

Article 27

Section 1:

Trainmen in pool service who are called and report and, for any reason other than their own acts,are released before leaving the terminal within three (3) hours after the time called to register on duty, they will be paid for four (4) hours and remain 1st out; if release after three hours from the time called to register on duty, they will be paid a minimum day’s wages in class of service for which called and be placed last-out; no pay shall be allowed if they are notified before leaving place of residence that they are not needed.

Section 2:

Yardmen or switch tenders who are required to report for duty and are not used will be allowed one day the same as though service was performed. when this involves extra men they will go to the foot of the list.

Section 3:

When a yardman or switch tender reports for duty on an assignment and finds that account of an error, and through no fault of his own, he was not notified or displacement or was not marked up on the assignment as requested, the senior yardman involved will be given the preference of working the assignment or relinquishing it to the junior yardman. If either case the yardman relieved from duty will be paid one day.

ENGINEERS:

Article 18

Section 1:

Engineers when called for a train, and the call is subsequently annulled, will be paid
according to class of serice called for, with a minimum of three (3) hours;
at pro rata rate. If in chain gang (pool freight) service, will stand first out.

Section 2:

When engineers are called and report and for any reason other than their own acts
do not go out, they will be allowed at the engieers’s option, four (4) hours
and remain first out or eight (8) hours and be marked last out. payment to
be made according to class of service and engine(s) called for, and marked last out.

Section 3:

Yard engineers who report and then are released will be allowed eight (8) hours.

WABASH:

Article 29, Section 2

NO – Not Called In Turn Order

Engineer:
Article 24 Calling Procedures

Conductor:
Article 26 Calling Procedures

Wabash:

Article 8

NO = Not called in turn order — violation of 1st in 1st out principle.

Claiming 8 hour basic day due to being 1st out, rested, and available to be called for train ***L0** on **/**/**. Engineer *****Conductor *****was called around me from other than the 1st out position. This is and was a direct violation of the BLET Article 24/SMART Article 26 dealing with calling procedures.

UA – Used of Assigned Territory

For UA claim make sure you take note of the time you leave YOUR assigned territory and the time you make it back to YOUR territory, keep track of mileage off territory and mile markers and just fill in the back of your validation screen.

Example:

CLAIM DATA VALIDATION

TRAIN: 866L421 OF 07/12/17 03:00A
EMPLOYEE: Goner, Ima TIMESLIP#: 00000000
COT CODE: UA USED OFF ASSIGN

—————————-VALIDATION INFORMATION—————————-

DATE & TIME LEFT YD SWITCHING/ADV LIMITS : 060117 0400A
DATE & TIME BACK INSIDE YD/ADV LIMITS : 060117 500A
TIME SPENT OUTSIDE ASSIGNED TERRITORY: 0100
FURTHEST POINT TRAVELED OUTSIDE YD/TERR I: OR MILEPOST: CF 117
ROUND TRIP MILES OUTSIDE YD LIMITS/TERR I: 6

EXPLAIN WORK PERFORMED:

CLAIMING UA FOR BEING USED OFF. Instructed by **** to taxi to Noel, MP CF 117 to get train **L9**. Total miles run were six. Work was performed from 4:00 AM to 5:00 AM.

The Road Manager has been known to check signal times at 6th street and use discrepancies as a reason for denial. Time starts when you board the train. Keep accurate times to ensure payment.

GP – Guarantee Extra Board Payment

Extra Board Employees are entitled to a Guarantee IF you are marked up and available for the entire pay period on whichever board you may be assigned to. If you mark off or Voluntarily bid or make a 30 move from 1 extra board to another extra board you will forfeit you guarantee. If you are displaced from the extra board you are assigned, you have 1 hour to place yourself on another extra board if you can hold it if you wish to keep your guarantee intact.

Your claim must be dated last day of month or closeout date of the pay period.

Conductor Extra Board Guarantee:

$2147.45 per pay period.

Remember, this figure is for a conductor that is currently at the 100% Pay Rate:

80% = $1717.96
85% = $1825.33
90% = $1932.70
95% = $2040.08

Engineer Extra Board Guarantee:
$3388.84 Per Pay Period

The Marion Extra Board for engineers does not have rest days and mark offs are prorated at 1/14th of the guaranteed payment. A period of unavailability does not cause you to lose the entire guarantee only on boards without rest days.

DP – Difference in Pay

The DP claim applies for ALL CRAFTS.

Difference in pay is used and or claimed when you work on an assignment other that yours.

Examples:

You are called from your conductors spot and work as a engineer. Your conductor spot makes more that the spot you worked, you are entitled to the difference in pay from what you actually made and what you would have made.
You work a yard job from your pool spot and your pool spot leaves town with an extra man. You are entitled the difference in pay from what you made on the yard job and what your spot made for the round trip.

AN – Annulment Day Claim

If your job is annulled by either a bulletin, posting, or supervisor, claim that day as an annulment with pay by entering information about who, what, when, and why you were annulled.

Example: Claiming one basic day account assignment ****** being annulled on **/**/** per supervisor ***** due to no engineer/conductor available.

You cannot claim an annulment day if you are on a holiday pay job and are annulled on a holiday. You cannot double dip.

CA – Window Expired

ARTICLE I, PARAGRAPH C:

If an assigned Engineer is not called within his twenty-four (24) hour call window, he will be paid lost wages for each day missed and will stand for his next scheduled trip out of the home terminal. Lost wages will be based on the first CA assignment called during the subsequent window. It is not intended to pay assigned crews laid in on a holiday or laid in as a result of a major service disruption.

If you are NOT called before 3:30 P.M. for an on duty time of 5:00 P.M. within the 24 hour window of your schedule, then your spot has expired and you are to be paid what the next CA Spot called makes for the round trip. (Article I, Paragraph C)

If you are on a CA Spot and are turned back to the home terminal then you are entitled to what the CA Spot behind you makes for the round trip. There are no provisions for a FLIP trip and therefore you entitled to DP difference in pay of what you made for the round trip and the spot behind you makes for the round trip.

In these cases you are to put in a PE claim for the both situations with complete comments and even a follow up call to payroll to explain further. 800-624-4193 NS PAYROLL Department

If your on a CA Spot and deadheaded to Chicago and then placed on a train to turn back to home terminal, you are entitled to 2 CA Trip rates as there is no provision in the CA Agreement for a Flip Trip. If the deadhead and your return trip are combined, then you must call the NS PAYROLL 800-624-4193 to explain the mistake too them to correct.

If you are on a CA spot and you are rested, available, and the caller calls a FC spot in your place, then your spot is considered DEAD. They CAN NOT call you for any other assignment. If you were assigned the 5th train and the FC takes it out of town, then you are to claim the same as your window expired as explained above.

If all else fails, call one of the representatives so that they can step in on your behalf!

RT – Short Turn Relieve Service

RT Claim:

A:
Work out 25 miles or more then turn back for a total of 50 miles or more qualifies for 2nd days pay.

B:
OR over 8 hours old when you depart for the 2nd train, qualifies for 2nd days pay.

C:
OR you accumulate over 100 miles then you depart to get another train qualifies for 2nd days pay.

The Carrier is denying this claim for the pool. Claim it anyhow. Nowhere in the Agreement does it state this pool is different than any other when it comes to pay.

PE – Penalty Day Claim

PE – Penalty Day Claim is a catch all claim when there are no available claims that cover your situation, or the current ones just don’t fit. Always claim 8 hour pay and when filling out the remarks section put in as complete information you can to explain the claim. Try and use dates, times, engine numbers if available, and names of anyone involved so PAYROLL can look it up.

Penalty – Over 16 Hours in the Hotel

If you are called on a make-up spot and not used within 16 hours after putting off duty at the away-from-home-terminal then you are due a basic day. You also must be used within 16 hours when deadheaded to the away-from-home-terminal on any spot.

Engineers
Article 4 Section 10-when called on a make-up spot for train.

Article 12 Section 2 (b)-when called to deadhead on any spot and not used within 16 hours.

Conductors
Article 25 Section 2-when deadheaded to the away-from-home-terminal on a make-up turn.

BL – Bereavement Leave

Engineer:
Article 13, Section 6

Conductor:
Article 35, Section 5

Wabash:

Article 20, Section 21b

BL – Bereavement Pay is only allowed for the following family members: Employee’s Brothers, Sisters, Parent, Child, Spouse or Spouse’s parents and half siblings.

As a reminder, you are allowed up to 3 days pay for the above family members. If your off for 3 days, but only miss a round trip you will only receive a days pay for each start you miss up to 3 days of compensation. Example: If you mark off on Monday and mark up on Wednesday you will be off for 3 days. If you spot is called on Monday and returns Wednesday then you will be paid for only 2 days. If you work a yard job and miss 3 starts then you will receive 3 days pay.

The options allowed for mark off are as follows:

a) Three consecutive calendar days, commencing with the day of death, when the death occurs prior to the time an employee is scheduled to report for duty.

b) Three consecutive calendar days, ending the day of the funeral service; or

c) Three consecutive calendar days, ending the day following the funeral service.

Remember these options available so that you can choose the correct one. Example: If the person dies on Saturday with the funeral scheduled on Wednesday. You work a local with weekends off then you would want to use option b or c to ensure you were paid for all 3 days. You are not entitled to holiday pay if off bereavement on a holiday. You are also not entitled to bereavement pay while on vacation.

You must put in a BL claim for each day you are off or each day you wish to claim.