In our first meeting with the Carrier to discuss "local issues" separate from National handling, Labor Relations advised us that despite the Carrier's best efforts to reduce extra board guarantees, BNSF is still spending 20 million dollars annually for guarantee payments to TY&E employees. Crew Management just can't keep these guarantee costs under control and still staff extra boards so as to provide sufficient manpower to run trains. We pointed out that many of the reports used by Crew Management to regulate extra boards are inaccurate and misleading. One example is the "cycle time" report, which supposedly records the average time off between trips at the home terminal for employees on the extra board. So long as every employee assigned to the extra board stays active for the entire date range of the report, the information may be useful. However, if any employee on the extra board lays off, takes vacation or personal leave days, etc., this entire time off between trips gets thrown into the formula and inflates the average "cycle time" so the report is really useless in determining how quickly the board actually turns. There are other reports (e.g., the "DOL" report for hours of service relief) that are apparently being manipulated to make the operation look better on paper. Unfortunately, Crew Management then attempts to gauge manpower needs by monitoring these distorted figures, and usually ends up reaching the wrong conclusions.

The Carrier proposed unspecified wage increases (separate from any national settlement) in exchange for the Organization's help in regulating extra boards so as to reduce guarantee payments. It's interesting that back when the Carrier first proposed guaranteed extra boards, they did so on the argument that they could do a better job of regulating the board than the Local Chairman had done previously. I guess $20 million a year in guarantees has convinced them that maybe that's not always true. We will keep you informed of further developments. Also, we solicit your input and expertise in identifying and documenting other misleading reports or manipulated data that may contribute to Crew Management's poor track record in regulating extra boards.