ARTICLE VI
PRODUCTIVITY FUND/SPECIAL ALLOWANCE

1. For each tour of. duty operated on the territories comprehended by this agreement with a crew consisting of conductor/foreman-only or conductor/foreman and brakeman/helper, the Carrier shall continue to pay into the employe's Productivity Fund the sum of $48.25, such payment to be in lieu of any payment which may have been required under pre-existing Crew Consist Agreements for operation of a reduced crew. The pre-existing methodology for the calculation of reserve board offsets against productivity fund deposits shall continue, and conductor-only operations will result in one productivity fund deposit in the same manner as for operation of crews consisting of one (1) conductor/foreman and one (1) brakeman/helper. However, there will not be any reserve board offsets against the Productivity Fund for employes occupying Tier I positions.

2. This payment will continue to be made in accordance with the basic Crew Consist Agreement and is only applicable to protected employes hired on or before such Crew Consist Agreement.

3. a. The Special Allowance Payment of $8.36 presently paid to crews operating with one (1) conductor/foreman and one (1) brakeman/helper shall continue as provided in the Basic Crew Consist and Modified Crew Consist Agreements.

b. Effective on the implementation of this agreement, a Special Allowance Payment of $18.36 will be paid to a trainman operating under a "conductor/foreman-only" operation. This allowance will be paid and subject to COLA and wages adjustments in the same manner as the $8.36 set forth in Section 3(a) above.c. In lieu of the Spcical Allowances set forth in Sections 3(a) and (b) of this Article, an employe may make election to receive a lump sum Special Allowance in the gross amount of $14,500 on the effective date of this agreement. In order to be eligible for this lump sum allowance, the employe must be holding seniority on the territory comprehended by this agreement and is actively employed and receiving compensation as a trainman/switchman.

d. Employes who do not qualify under Section 3(c) because they are on approved leave of absence, furloughed, or out of service for disciplinary reasons, or they have seniority in other crafts on the Carrier and are working in one of those other crafts, will upon returning to active service no later than December 31, 1993, as a trainman/switchman or being assigned to a reserve board, be entitled to receive the payment provided under the terms of this Section 3 upon completing sixty (60) consecutive days in active service as a trainman/switchman or in reserve board status, or a combination of both.

e. Employes qualifying for the payment provided in Section 3(d) of this Article must claim the allowance in writing.

f. Employes electing the Lump Sum Special Allowance under this Section may elect to receive this allowance in January 1992. Such election must be made in writing to the Director of Labor Relations no later than December 6, 1991.