(a) The purpose of this
Agreement is to fix the general level of compensation during the
period of the Agreement and is in settlement of the dispute growing
out of the notices dated November 1, 1999 served by and on behalf of
the carriers listed in Exhibit A upon the organization signatory
hereto, and the notices dated on or subsequent to November 1, 1999
served by the organization upon such carriers, except as otherwise
provided in Article IV of this Agreement.
(b) This Agreement shall be
construed as a separate agreement by and on behalf of each of said
carriers and their employees represented by the organization
signatory hereto, and shall remain in effect through December 31,
2004 and thereafter until changed or modified in accordance with the
provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.
(c) The parties to this
Agreement shall not serve nor progress prior to November 1, 2004
(not to become effective before January 1, 2005) any notice or
proposal for changing any matter contained in:
(1) This Agreement,
(2) the proposals of the
parties identified in Section 2(a) of this Article, and
(3) Section 2(c) of
Article XV of the Agreement of January 27, 1972, and any pending
notices which propose such matters are hereby withdrawn, except as
otherwise provided in Article IV of this Agreement.
(d) The parties to this
Agreement shall not serve nor progress prior to November 1, 2004
(not to become effective before January 1, 2005) any notice or
proposal which might properly have been served when the last
moratorium ended on January 1, 2000.
(e) This Article will not
bar management and committees on individual railroads from agreeing
upon any subject of mutual interest.