ARTICLE XVII - GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 1 - Court Approval

     This Agreement is subject to approval of the courts with respect to participating carriers in the hands of receivers or trustees.

Section 2 - Effect of this Agreement

     (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 served upon the carriers listed in Exhibit A by the organization signatory hereto dated on or about January 3, 1984 and January 23, 1984, and the notices served on or about January 12, 1984 by the carriers for concurrent handling therewith.

     (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 June 30, 1988 and thereafter until changed or modified in accordance with the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.

     (c) Except as provided in Sections 2(d) and (e) of this Article, the parties to this Agreement shall not serve nor progress prior to April 1, 1988 (not to become effective before July 1, 1988) 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2(c) of Article XV of the Agreement of January 27, 1972, and any pending notices which propose such matters are hereby withdrawn.

     (d) The notices of the parties referred to in Article XV of this Agreement' may be progressed in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(d) of that Article.

     (e) New notices or pending notices that are permitted under the terms of the Letter Agreement of this date concerning intercraft pay relationships shall be governed by the terms of that Letter Agreement.

     (f) Pending notices and new proposals properly served under the Railway Labor Act covering subject matters not specifically dealt with in Sections 2(c), 2(d) and 2(e) of this Article and which do not request compensation may be progressed under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended.

     (g) This Article will not bar management and committees on individual railroads from agreeing upon any subject of mutual interest.

SIGNED AT WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS 31ST DAY OF OCTOBER, 1985.