Article VIII - Special Relief, Customer Service - Yard Crews of the UTU Implementing Document of November 1, 1991, Document A, is amended to read as follows and furthermore shall be applicable to all carriers party to this Agreement:

    (a) When an individual carrier has a customer request for particularized handling that would provide more efficient service, or can show a need for relaxation of certain specific work rules to attract or retain a customer, such service may be instituted on an experimental basis for a six-month period.

    (b) Prior to implementing such service, the carrier will extend seven (7) days advance notice where practicable but in no event less than forty-eight (48) hours' advance notice to the General Chairman of the employees involved. Such notice will include an explanation of the need to provide the service, a description of the service, and a description of the work rules that may require relaxation for implementation. Relaxation of work rules that may be required under this Article shall be limited to: starting times, yard limits, calling rules, on/off duty points, seniority boundaries, and class of service restrictions.

    (c) A Joint Committee, comprised of an equal number of carrier representatives and organization representatives, shall

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determine whether a need exists, as provided in paragraph (a), to provide the service. If the Joint Committee has not made its determination by the end of the advance notice period referenced in paragraph (b) , it shall be deemed to be deadlocked, and the service will be allowed on an experimental basis for a six-month period. If, after the six-months has expired, the organization members of the Joint Committee continue to object, the matter shall be referred to arbitration.

    (d) If the parties are unable to agree upon an arbitrator within seven days of the date of the request for arbitration, either party may request the National Mediation Board to provide a list of five potential arbitrators, from which the parties shall choose the arbitrator through alternate striking. The order of such striking shall be determined by coin flip unless otherwise agreed by the parties. The fees and expenses of the arbitrator shall be borne equally by the parties.

    (e) The determination of the arbitrator shall be limited to whether the carrier has shown a bona fide need to provide the service requested or can provide the service without a special exception to existing work rules being made at a comparable cost to the carrier. If the arbitrator determines that this standard has not been met, the arbitrator shall have the discretion to award compensation for all wages and benefits lost by an employee as a result of the carrier's implementation of its proposal.

This Article shall become effective June 1, 1996 and is not intended to restrict any of the existing rights of a carrier.