OLDHEADING UPDATE

I have been flooded with questions about the new LOU on Old Heading, I am going to try and answer as many as I can. If you still have questions feel free to ask. 

- Can a guy working west old head a job on the Joilet long pool (even though its in a different Zone) ? The simple answer is yes. No longer are they going to enforce these rules that were not agreed upon. If you are qualified to work the job and are working as an Engineer you can old-headed anything you have seniority to work. 

- This LOU clears up the fact you can not old head a job that it on duty or away from home right? Yes, it does, the only catch to this, and it goes back to the language in the 96 policy manual (the last one the organization agreed to) is that you must still protect your current assignment until that job you old-headed comes in or ties up. So yes if you wish to old head a yard job and its on duty you will be pended to it, yet if your assignment gets called to work you must still protect your current assignment. 

- When will these changes be made? They are made, the general chairman received notice that as of today the programing changes have been made. 

- Is this similar to the conductors where the turn must make a start or round trip first? NO, if it's a known vacancy regardless of the status of five days or more then the turn is available to be old-headed immediately. 

- There have been concerns that with this LOU on old heading the carrier is going to abuse the cross-zone rights, is that the case? No, The General Chairman has documented communication with the carrier this LOU will not change the way the zone rights are handled. This is by choice to cross zones for oldheading...

This change in the old heading is the first, we are working on another change to the process that will allow you to bid on known vacancies. There is still a lot to hammer out on this process and is several months away. I will keep everyone updated to the changes as they come.