Sleet-fighter Overtime (All Rail Vehicle Maintenance)

Winter weather means "Sleet-Fighter" season! That also means plenty of opportunities for relatively low-stress, voluntary overtime for those who are immune to motion sickness.

However, the managers are not always consistent about contacting workers for overtime opportunities. 

Sleet-Fighter is a Repairer-priority job. That is, Repairers install, refill and repair Sleet-Fighter equipment on the trains. So the Repairers have first dibs on operating or tending the equipment for in-service trains. 

That must be offered in three-levels: 

• Specific Shop
• Section
• System 

Basically, if no Repairers or Servicers in that manager's Shop accepts Sleet-fighter overtime, the manager cannot call for a Servicer or Motor Blower at another Shop in the Section or System before calling Repairers at another Shop in the Section or System.

Below is the order for Sleet-Fighter OT calls should be made by management per Shop Location (example in parenthesis). 

For this example, we are using Howard Shop as the location in need of Sleet-Fighter overtime volunteers:

1. Rail Car Repairers according to Specific Shop Seniority (e.g. Howard Shop) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop).
   
   
2. Rail Car Servicers and Motor Blowers according to Specific Shop Seniority (e.g. Howard Shop) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop).
   
   
3. Rail Car Repairers according to SECTION Seniority (e.g. Howard, 98th, Harlem, Racine, 54th, Linden) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop).
   
   
4. Rail Car Servicers and Motor Blowers according to SECTION Seniority (e.g. Howard, 98th, Harlem, Racine, 54th, Linden) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop). 
   
   
5. Rail Car Repairers according to SYSTEM Seniority (e.g. Howard, 98th, Harlem, Racine, 54th, Linden, Midway, Des Plaines, Rosemont, Kimball) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop).
   
   
6. Rail Car Servicers and Motor Blowers according to SYSTEM Seniority (e.g. Howard, 98th, Harlem, Racine, 54th, Linden, Midway, Des Plaines, Rosemont, Kimball) at Specific Shop need (e.g. Howard Shop). 

I included Racine and Linden because Repairers have been able to pick those locations in the past—and Servicers currently are able to pick them. 

Also, since Motor Blowers were previously a single job with Rail Car Servicers from 1976 to 1999, I have deduced that they should be included in the totality of Shop, Section and System seniority with Car Servicers (see Sole Agreement No. 28 in the Contract). 

The entire premise of this article is based on information buried in the Contract, under Page 2 of Sole Agreement No. 37 "Non-Excel Position":

 

 

If you think you were skipped out of order according to any of these steps, I highly recommend you file a grievance for wage theft. That is, for each time you know you were skipped, cite the date and hours (usually 8).

I suggest writing something like this: 

I was skipped for Sleet-Fighter Overtime on the following date(s): 

Month, Day, Year & Hour

The CTA is in violation of the CBA Sole Agreement No. 37 "Non-Excel Positions." The CTA must compensate me for the above loss of potential income opportunities and stop violating the CBA.

What is your opinion on this article? Any suggestions? Complaints? Commendations? Share it in the comments below.