Intracraft Policy For Train Service Employees of Union Pacific Railroad

 

  1. Purpose
    This policy establishes the procedures for an employee of Union Pacific Railroad Company to apply for agreement vacancies in his/her craft at different work locations. Consideration will be given to active and furloughed employees concurrent with external applicants in the selection of personnel for agreement vacancies. Vacancies will always be filled with the most qualified candidate, whether internal or external.
     
  2. Policy Application and Administration
    This policy provides a uniform and objective approach to the filling of agreement vacancies. This policy is not intended to keep an employee from exercising any existing right of transfer to positions that fall under the provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements. The applicable collective bargaining agreement will control in the event of a conflict with this policy. The objectives of this policy are:
    • To provide an opportunity for eligible employees to transfer to a different work location.
    • To establish a uniform process for the consideration and movement of employees from one work location to another in which employees do not have contractual rights.
    • To establish and communicate consistent eligibility requirements for employees applying to transfer in the same craft to a different work location.

    Crew Management will have final approval on all transfers based on manpower availability determined through the manpower planning process.

  3. Eligibility Requirements For Consideration For an Intracraft Transfer
    An employee applying for agreement vacancies under this policy must meet all selection criteria established by the Company. In situations where more than one applicant from the same location is applying to transfer, the date and time of application to transfer will prevail as between equally qualified employees.

    Qualified locomotive engineers or engineers in training will not be allowed to transfer under this policy, regardless of the craft to which assigned.

    1. Discipline
      1. An employee who has received formal discipline will be ineligible to transfer under this policy for the number of years equal or equivalent to the Upgrade retention period for the employee's offense. The retention period begins with the date of the incident resulting in disciplinary action. The discipline levels and retention periods are as follows:
        Level   Retention Period
        1
        2
        3
        4        		   6 months
        12 months
        18 months
        24 months

        When an employee is returned to service from Level 5 dismissal on a leniency basis (other than Rule 1.5), as the result of a reinstatement agreement, the employee will be returned with a status of Level 3.

        The employee will be considered at a Level 3 and must wait 18 months before applying for transfer under this policy.

      2. An employee will not be considered if he/she has discipline pending or is undergoing an investigation. The Company shall assume no liability for a request to transfer in cases where discipline is overturned in an arbitration award.
         
      3. An employee who has violated Rule G and/or is covered by the Companion Agreement within the past 12 months of the date of the employees transfer application will not be eligible for transfer. An employee who has violated Rule G and/or has been covered by the Companion Agreement within the previous 24 months must have approval from EAP that he/she has successfully completed a follow-up program before becoming eligible for transfer.
         
    2. Safety Record
      An employee will be rejected if his/her personal injury record clearly demonstrates a disregard for safety and therefore an inability to safely perform their duties.

      An employee may not have had any on-duty reportable personal injuries within 3 years of applying for transfer to another location.

    3. Service  (For purposes of this policy, train service [conductor, brakeman, switchman, etc.] is considered a single craft.)
      1. An employee must have two years of continuous service in his/her present craft in order to apply to transfer under this policy.

        Example: A trainman was originally hired in the Denver Hub. The employee will not be eligible to transfer until two years have passed since his/her hire date.

      2. An employee who has previously transferred under this policy will not be eligible to request a transfer under this policy for five years from the date of the previous transfer. The five year period begins on the date the employee first performs service at the new location.

        Example: A trainman was originally hired in the Denver Hub. Two years after the original hire date, he/she requested transfer to the Chicago Hub. The request was granted. The employee will not be eligible to request another transfer under this policy until he/she has worked at the new location for five years from the date of service at the new location.

      3. An employee with less than two years of continuous service in his/her current craft may be considered for a transfer under this policy if there is a furlough situation within the employee's craft and on the employee's seniority district. The employee must still meet all other eligibility requirements under this policy.

        Example: A trainman at North Platte with six months service is furloughed on his/her seniority district. Another trainman on the furloughed employee's seniority district is working. Both employees are eligible to apply to transfer under this policy.

      4. An employee will not be allowed to transfer if he/she is subject to an existing relocation agreement or program.

        Example: An employee received relocation benefits and moved from Houston to Cheyenne. The agreement required the employee to work at the new location for two years. The employee cannot apply to transfer under this policy until two years after he/she first performed service at the new location.

    4. Reapply
      Applications to transfer under this policy will expire 6 months after submitted. Employees must resubmit an application to transfer if their application has expired. When an employee is selected to transfer, all other applications to transfer from this employee will expire.

       
    5. Priority Locations
      Priority in filling agreement vacancies will be extended to locations having surplus employees as determined by the CMS manpower planning process.

       
  4. Definition of Authorized Vacancy
    The authorized vacancy process will be defined as follows:
     
    1. Hiring department initiates Request for Agreement Personnel (RFP).
    2. RFP moves through appropriate steps for approval.
    3. Final Approval by designated authority, indicates the President has approved the RFP.

       
  5. Definition of an Intracraft Transfer
    Any re-assignment from one craft to the same craft at a different work location/seniority district that has not been agreed to under the applicable collective bargaining agreements.

    Example: Train service in Tucson to train service in the Twin Cities.

  6. Definition of A Furloughed Employee
    A furloughed employee is an employee who is not able, through the normal exercise of seniority, to hold a position or to place themselves on a position in any class of service in which they hold seniority or to otherwise obtain a position pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

     
  7. Application Process
    After receiving notification to fill a job vacancy through the RFP process as described above in Section IV, Sourcing will post job vacancies as follows:
    1. All job vacancies are posted on UPRR's internal employee site (through UPOnline) and UPRR's external web site (www.uprr.com).
    2. Employee must fill out an application on UPRR's internal employee site through UPOnline) or UPRR's external Web site (www.uprr.com).
    3. After an employee has submitted his/her application, the Sourcing Department will determine eligibility according to this policy.
    4. Interviewing of eligible employees will be conducted at a location determined by the Sourcing Department. It is the employee's responsibility to arrange for time off and transportation at the employee's own expense.
    5. The Sourcing Department (Employment Manager), the Field Manager and CMS (Manpower Manager) will make a joint decision relative to whether or not the employee in question will be receiving a job offer for transferring to the new location. The Sourcing Department will notify the employee if he/she is offered a position.
    6. An employee selected for transfer may be required to undergo a job-related physical and drug screen (as deemed necessary by the Health Services Department) and background investigation as required by Company policy.

    Questions regarding this policy may be directed to Sourcing at:  1-800-877-5634