P


Synthesis of
Operating Vacation Agreement
Revised November 15, 1982
By The

UTU – R&S Department
This is intended as a guide and is not to be construed as
constituting a separate Agreement between the parties.)

Originally Prepared November 2, 1967, By Section 10 Committee Of The

April 29, 1949 Operating Vacation Agreement, As Amended By Various

National Agreements Up To And Including October 15, 1982.

Furnished For Your Information And Convenience By

President
United Transportation Union


Synthesis
of
OPERATING VACATION AGREEMENTS

The following represents a synthesis in one document, for the convenience of the parties, of the National Vacation Agreement of April 29, 1949, between certain carriers represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee and their employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union (formerly the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and Switchmen’s Union of North America), and the several amendments made thereto in various national agreements up to October 15, 1982.

This is intended as a guide and is not to be construed as constituting a separate agreement between the parties. If any dispute arises as to the proper interpretation or application of any vacation provision, the terms of the appropriate vacation agreement shall govern.

Section 1

  1. Effective January 1, 1982, each employee, subject to the scope of schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, will be qualified for an annual vacation of one week with pay, or pay in lieu thereof, if during the preceding calendar year the employee renders service under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement amounting to one hundred sixty (160) basic days in miles or hours paid for, as provided in individual schedules.

Beginning with the effective date of the provisions of Article 3 of Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951, or May 23, 1952, on an individual carrier, but not earlier than the year 1960, in the application of this Section 1(a) each basic day in yard service performed by a yard service employee or by an employee having interchangeable road and yard rights shall be computed as 1.3 days, and each basic day in all other services shall be computed as 1.1 days, for purposes of determining qualifications for vacations. (This is the equivalent of 120 qualifying days in a calendar year in yard service and 144 qualifying days in a calendar year in road service.) (See NOTE below.)

Beginning with the year 1960 on all other carriers, in the application of this Section 1(a) each basic day in all classes of service shall be computed as 1.1 days for purposes of determining qualifications for vacation. (This is the equivalent of 144 qualifying days.) (See NOTE below.)

*Agreement of 9/28/82 with the BLE
*Agreement of 10/15/82 with the UTU

  1. Effective January 1, 1982, each employee, subject to the scope of schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, having two or more years of continuous service with the employing carrier will be qualified for an annual vacation of two weeks with pay, or pay in lieu thereof, if during the preceding calendar year the employee renders service under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement amounting to one hundred sixty (160) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules and during the said two or more years of continuous service renders service of not less than three hundred twenty (320) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules.

Beginning with the effective date of the provisions of Article 3 of Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951, or May 23, 1952, on an individual carrier, but not earlier than the year 1960, in the application of this Section 1(b) each basic day in yard service performed by a yard service employee or by an employee having interchangeable road and yard rights shall be computed as 1.4 days, and each basic day in all other services shall be computed as 1.2 days, for purposes of determining qualifications for vacations. (This is the equivalent of 110 qualifying days in a calendar year in yard service and 132 qualifying days in a calendar year in road service.) (See NOTE below.)

Beginning with the year 1960 on all other carriers, in the application of this Section 1(b) each basic day in all classes of service shall be computed as 1.2 days for purposes of determining qualifications for vacation. (This is the equivalent of 132 qualifying days.) (See NOTE below.)

  1. Effective January 1, 1982, each employee, subject to the scope of schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, having eight or more years of continuous service with the employing carrier will be qualified for an annual vacation of three weeks with pay, or pay in lieu thereof, if during the preceding calendar year the employee renders service under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement amounting to one hundred sixty (160) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules and during the said eight or more years of continuous service renders service of not less than one thousand two hundred and eighty (1280) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules.

Beginning with the effective date of the provisions of Article 3 of Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951, or May 23, 1952, on an individual carrier, but not earlier than the year 1960, in the application of this Section 1(c) each basic day in yard service performed by a yard service employee or by an employee having interchangeable road and yard rights shall be computed as 1.6 days, and each basic day in all other services shall be computed as 1.3 days, for purposes of determining qualifications for vacations. (This is the equivalent of 100 qualifying days in a calendar year in yard service and 120 qualifying days in a calendar year in road service.) (See NOTE below.)

Beginning with the year 1960 on all other carriers, in the application of this Section 1(c) each basic day in all classes of service shall be computed as 1.3 days for purposes of determining qualifications for vacation. (This is the equivalent of 120 qualifying days.) (See NOTE below.)

  1. Effective January 1, 1982, each employee, subject to the scope of schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, having seventeen or more years of continuous service with the employing carrier will be qualified for an annual vacation of four weeks with pay, or pay in lieu thereof, if during the preceding calendar year the employee renders service under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement amounting to one hundred sixty (160) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules and during the said seventeen or more years of continuous service renders service of not less than two thousand seven hundred and twenty (2720) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules.

    2. Beginning with the effective date of the provisions of Article 3 of Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951, or May 23, 1952, on an individual carrier, but not earlier than the year 1960, in the application of this Section 1(d) each basic day in yard service performed by a yard service employee or by an employee having interchangeable road and yard rights shall be computed as 1.6 days, and each basic day in all other services shall be computed as 1.3 days, for purposes of determining qualifications for vacations. (This is the equivalent of 100 qualifying days in a calendar year in yard service and 120 qualifying days in a calendar year in road service.) (See NOTE below.)

    Beginning with the year 1960 on all other carriers, in the application of this Section 1(d) each basic day in all classes of service shall be computed as 1.3 days for purposes of determining qualifications for vacation. (This is the equivalent of 120 qualifying days.) (See NOTE below.)

  2. Effective January 1, 1982, each employee, subject to the scope of schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, having twenty-five or more years of continuous service with the employing carrier will be qualified for an annual vacation of five weeks with pay, or pay in lieu thereof, if during the preceding calendar year the employee renders service under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement amounting to one hundred sixty (160) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules and during the said twenty-five or more years of continuous service renders service of not less than four thousand (4,000) basic days in miles or hours paid for as provided in individual schedules.

Beginning with the effective date of the provisions of Article 3 of Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951, or May 23, 1952, on an individual carrier, but not earlier than the year 1960, in the application of this Section 1(e) each basic day in yard service performed by a yard service employee or by an employee having interchangeable road and yard rights shall be computed as 1.6 days, and each basic day in all other services shall be computed as 1.3 days, for purposes of determining qualifications for vacations. (This is the equivalent of 100 qualifying days in a calendar year in yard service and 120 qualifying days in a calendar year in road service.) (See NOTE below.)

Beginning with the year 1960 on all other carriers, in the application of this Section 1(e) each basic day in all classes of service shall be computed as 1.3 days for purposes of determining qualifications for vacation. (This is the equivalent of 120 qualifying days.) (See NOTE below.)

NOTE: In the application of Section 1(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), qualifying years accumulated, also qualifying requirements for years accumulated, prior to the effective date of the respective provisions hereof, for extended vacations shall not be changed.

  1. In dining car service, for service performed on and after July 1, 1949, each 1½ hours paid for shall be considered the equivalent of one basic day in the application of Section 1 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e).
  2. Calendar days on which an employee assigned to an extra list is available for service and on which days he performs no service, not exceeding sixty (60) such days, will be included in the determination of qualification for vacation; also, calendar days, not in excess of thirty (30), on which an employee is absent from and unable to perform service because of injury received on duty will be included.

The 60 and 30 calendar days referred to in this Section 1(g) shall not be subject to the 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.6 computations provided for in Section 1(a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), respectively.

  1. Where an employee is discharged from service and thereafter restored to service during the same calendar year with seniority unimpaired, service performed prior to discharge and subsequent to reinstatement during that year shall be included in the determination of qualification for vacation during the following year.

Where an employee is discharged from service and thereafter restored to service with seniority unimpaired, service before and after such discharge and restoration shall be included in computing three hundred twenty (320) basic days under Section 1(b), one thousand two hundred eighty (1,280) basic days under Section 1(c), two thousand seven hundred twenty (2,720) basic days under Section 1(d), and four thousand (4,000) basic days under Section 1(e).

  1. Only service performed on one railroad may be combined in determining the qualifications provided for in this Section 1, except that service of an employee on his home road may be combined with service performed on other roads when the latter service is performed at the direction of the management of his home road or by virtue of the employee’s seniority on his home road. Such service will not operate to relieve the home road of its responsibility under this agreement.
  2. In instances where employees who have become members of the Armed Forces of the United States return to the service of the employing carrier in accordance with the Military Selective Service Act of 1967, as amended, the time spent by such employees in the Armed Forces subsequent to their employment by the employing carrier will be credited as qualifying service in determining the length of vacations for which they may qualify upon their return to the service of the employing carrier.
  3. In instances where an employee who has become a member of the Armed Forces of the United States returns to the service of the employing carrier in accordance with the Military Selective Service Act of 1967, as amended, and in the calendar year preceding his return to railroad service had rendered no compensated service or had rendered compensated service on fewer days than are required to qualify for a vacation in the calendar year of his return to railroad service, but could qualify for a vacation in the calendar year of his return to railroad service if he had combined for qualifying purposes days on which he was in railroad service in such preceding calendar year with days in such year on which he was in the Armed Forces, he will be granted, in the calendar year of his return to railroad service, a vacation of such length as he could so qualify for under Section 1 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (j) hereof.
  4. In instances where an employee who has become a member of the Armed Forces of the United States returns to the service of the employing carrier in accordance with the Military Selective Service Act of 1967, as amended, and in the calendar year of his return to railroad service renders compensated service on fewer days than are required to qualify for a vacation in the following calendar year, but could qualify for a vacation in such following calendar year if he had combined for qualifying purposes days on which he was in railroad service in the year of his return with days in such year on which he was in the Armed Forces, he will be granted, in such following calendar year, a vacation of such length as he could so qualify for under Section 1 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (j) hereof.

Section 2 Employees qualified under Section 1 hereof shall be paid for their vacations as follows:.

General

  1. An employee receiving a vacation, or pay in lieu thereof, under Section 1 shall be paid for each week of such vacation 1/52 of the compensation earned by such employee under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, on the carrier on which he qualified under Section 1 (or carriers in case he qualified on more than one carrier under Section 1(i)) during the calendar year preceding the year in which the vacation is taken, but in no event shall such pay for each week of vacation be less than six (6) minimum basic days’ pay at the rate of the last service rendered, except as provided in subparagraph (b).
  2. Beginning on the date Agreement “A” dated September 21, 1950, May 25, 1951 or May 23, 1952, became or becomes effective on any carrier, the following shall apply insofar as yard service employees and employees having interchangeable yard and road rights covered by said agreement are concerned:

Yard Service

  1. An employee receiving a vacation, or pay in lieu thereof, under Section 1 shall be paid for each week of such vacation 1/52 of the compensation earned by such employee under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, on the carrier on which he qualified under Section 1 (or carriers in case he qualified on more than one carrier under Section 1(i)) during the calendar year preceding the year in which the vacation is taken, but in no event shall such pay for each week of vacation be less than five (5) minimum basic days’ pay at the rate of the last service rendered.

Combination of Yard and Road Service

  1. An employee having interchangeable yard and road rights receiving a vacation, or pay in lieu thereof, under Section 1 shall be paid for each week of such vacation 1/52 of the compensation earned by such employee under schedule agreements held by the organizations signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, on the carrier on which he qualified under Section 1 (or carriers in case he qualified on more than one carrier under Section 1(i)) during the calendar year preceding the year in which the vacation is taken; provided that, if the vacation is taken during the time such employee is working in road service such pay for each week of vacation shall be not less than six (6) minimum basic days’ pay at the rate of the last road service rendered, and if the vacation is taken during the time such employee is working in yard service such pay for each week of vacation shall not be less than five (5) minimum basic days’ pay at the rate of the last yard service rendered.

NOTE: Section 2(b) applicable to yard service shall apply to yard, belt line and transfer service and combinations thereof, and to hostling service.

Section 3. Vacations, or allowances therefor, under two or more schedules held by different organizations on the same carrier shall not be combined to create a vacation of more than the maximum number of days provided for in any of such schedules.

Section 4. Time off on account of vacation will not be considered as time off on account of an employee’s own accord under any guarantee rules and will not be considered as breaking such guarantees.

Section 5. The absence of an employee on vacation with pay, as provided in this agreement, will not be considered as a vacancy, temporary or otherwise, in applying the bulletin rules of schedule agreements.

Section 6. Vacations shall be taken between January 1st and December 31st; however, it is recognized that the exigencies of the service create practical difficulties in providing vacations in all instances. Due regard, consistent with requirements of the service, shall be given to the preference of the employee in his seniority order in the class of service in which engaged when granting vacations. Representatives of the carriers and of the employees will cooperate in arranging vacation periods, administering vacations, and releasing employees when requirements of the service will permit. It is understood and agreed that vacationing employees will be paid their vacation allowances by the carriers as soon as possible after the vacation period, but the parties recognize that there may be some delay in such payments. It is understood that in any event such employee will be paid his vacation allowance no later than the second succeeding payroll period following the date the claim for vacation allowance is filed.

Section 7

  1. Vacations shall not be accumulated or carried over from one vacation year to another. However, to avoid loss of time by the employee at end of his vacation period, the number of vacation days at the request of the employee may be reduced in one year and adjusted in the next year.
  2. After the vacation begins layover days during the vacation period shall be counted as a part of the vacation.

Section 8 The vacation provided for in this Agreement shall be considered to have been earned when the employee has qualified under Section 1 hereof. If an employee’s employment status is terminated for any reason whatsoever, including but not limited to retirement, resignation, discharge, non-compliance with a union shop agreement, or failure to return after furlough, he shall, at the time of such termination, be granted full vacation pay earned up to the time he leaves the service, including pay for vacation earned in the preceding year or years and not yet granted, and the vacation for the succeeding year if the employee has qualified therefor under Section 1. If an employee thus entitled to vacation or vacation pay shall die, the vacation pay earned and not received shall be paid to such beneficiary as may have been designated, or, in the absence of such designation, the surviving spouse or children or his estate, in that order of preference.

Section 9 The terms of this agreement shall not be construed to deprive any employee of such additional vacation days as he may be entitled to receive under any existing rule, understanding, or custom, which additional vacation days shall be accorded under and in accordance with the terms of such existing rule, understanding, or custom.

Section 10 Any dispute or controversy arising out of the interpretation or application of any of the provisions of this agreement will be handled on the property in the same manner as other disputes. If the dispute or controversy is not settled on the property and either the carrier or the organization desires that the dispute or controversy be handled further, it shall be referred by either party for decision to a committee, the carrier members of which shall be five members of the Carriers’ Conference Committees signatory hereto, or their successors; and the employee members of which shall be the chief executives of the five organizations signatory hereto, or their representatives or successors. It is agreed that the Committee herein provided will meet between January 1 and June 30 and July 1 and December 31 of each year if any disputes or controversies have been filed for consideration. In event of failure to reach agreement, the dispute or controversy shall be arbitrated in accordance with the Railway Labor Act, as amended, the arbitration being handled by such Committee. Interpretation or application agreed upon by such Committee, or fixed by such arbitration, shall be final and binding as an interpretation or application of this agreement.

Section 11 This vacation agreement shall be construed as a separate agreement by and on behalf of each carrier party hereto, and its railroad employees represented by the respective organizations signatory hereto, and effective July 1, 1949, supersedes the Consolidated Uniform Vacation Agreement dated June 6, 1945, insofar as said agreement applies to and defines the rights and obligations of the carriers parties to this agreement and the employees of such carriers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union.

Section 12 This vacation agreement shall continue in effect until changed or modified in accordance with provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.

Section 13 This agreement is subject to approval of courts with respect to carriers in hands of receivers or trustees.

Section 14 The parties hereto having in mind conditions which exist or may arise on individual carriers in making provisions for vacations with pay, agree that the duly authorized representative (General Chairman) of the employees, party to this agreement, and the officer designated by the carrier, may enter into additional written understandings to implement the purposes of this agreement, provided that such understandings shall not be inconsistent with this agreement.

SIGNATURES OMITTED


MEMORANDUM


Chicago, Illinois, April 29, 1949

Referring to the agreement signed this date between employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, Order of Railway Conductors, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and the Switchmen’s Union of North America, and carriers represented by the Eastern, Western, and Southeastern Carriers’ Conference Committees, with respect to vacations with pay:

In computing basic days in miles or hours paid for, as provided in Section 1 of said agreement, the parties agree that the following interpretations shall apply:

  1. A trainman in passenger service, on a trip of 300 miles, upon which no overtime or other allowances accrue, will be credited with two basic days.
  2. An employee in freight service on a run of 125 miles, upon which no overtime or other allowances accrue, will be credited with 1-1/4 basic days.
  3. An employee in freight service on a run of 125 miles, with a total time on duty of 14 hours on the trip, will be credited with 1-3/4 basic days.
  4. An employee in yard service working 12 hours will be credited with 1-1/2 basic days.
  5. An employee in freight service, run-around and paid 50 miles for same, will be credited with 1/2 basic day.
  6. An employee in freight service, called and released and paid 50 miles for same, will be credited with 1/2 basic day.
  7. An employee in freight service, paid no overtime or other allowances, working as follows:
Trip Miles
1st trip 150
2nd trip 140
3rd trip 120
4th trip 150
5th trip 140
Total 700

will be credited with seven basic days.

  1. An employee in freight service makes a trip of 80 miles in 8 hours or less, for which he is paid 100 miles, will be credited with 1 basic day.
  2. An engineman in passenger service makes a trip of 100 miles or less in 5 hours, will be credited with 1 basic day.
  3. An engineman in short-turn-around passenger service makes a trip of 100 miles or less, on duty eight hours within a spread of nine hours, will be credited with 1 basic day.
  4. A trainman in short-turn-around passenger service makes a trip of 150 miles or less, on duty eight hours within a spread of nine hours, will be credited with 1 basic day.
  5. A trainman in short-turn-around passenger service makes a trip of 150 miles or less, total spread of time 10 hours, on duty eight hours within the first nine hours, will be credited with 1-1/8 basic days.
  6. An employee in freight service, deadheading and paid 50 miles for same, will be credited with 1/2 basic day.
  7. An employee is paid eight hours under the held-away-from-home terminal rule, will be credited with 1 basic day.
  8. An employee is allowed one hour as an arbitrary allowance, will be credited with 1/8 basic day.

S/ A. Johnston_
Grand Chief Engineer
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

S/ P. P. Loomis
Chairman
Western Carriers’ Conference Committee

S/ C. J. Goff
Asst. President
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and
Enginemen

S/ H. A. Enochs by S. M. F.
Chairman
Eastern Carriers’ Conference Conmittee

S/ R. 0. Huahes by J. P.
Vice President
Order of Railway Conductors

S/ A. F Hhitney
President
Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

S/ T. H. Benton
Chai man
Southeastern Carriers’ Conference Com-
mittee

S/ A. J. Glover
Intl. President
Switchmen’s Union of North America

ATTACHMENT 1


INTERPRETATION OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE PROVISIONS OF
SECTION 1 OF VACATION AGREEMENT

In the granting of vacations subject to agreements held by the five operating organizations, service rendered for the carrier will be counted in establishing five or fifteen or more years of continuous service, as the case may be, where the employee transferred in service to a position subject to an agreement held by an organization signatory to the April 29, 1949 Vacation Agreement, provided there was no break in the employee’s service as a result of the transfer from a class of service not covered by an agreement held by an organization signatory to the April 29, 1949 Agreement. This understanding will apply only where there was a transfer of service.

This understanding will apply commencing with the year 1956 but will also be applicable to claims of record properly filed with the carrier on or after January 1, 1955, for 1955 vacations and on file with the carrier at the date of this understanding. No other claims for 1955 based on continuous service will be paid. Standby agreements will be applied according to their terms and conditions for the year 1955.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of January, 1956.

CARRIER MEMBERS EMPLOYEE MEMBERS

SECTION 10 COMMITTEE

Frank J. Goebel
S/ L. W.Horning
S/ P. P. Loomis
S/ E. H. Mailman
S/ F. K. Day, Jr.
s/R.E. Davidson
s/S.C. Phillips
s/J.A. Paddock
s/s. Vander Hei
s/e.E. McDaniels