I don't know the specifics. But, I do know basically that New York Dock is what companies do when they relocate employees. For example, if the BNSF was to hire me in another city, (I think it mainly applies to salaried officials), they would pay for everything from shipping my household goods, travel money (per diem), and temporary lodging. I haven't ever used it (since I have suitcase seniority)but I listened as it was explained when I attended one of the workshops at the 1999 UTU convention in ST. Louis, MO.
Date: 01/12/02 20:12The Dock, as applied to ex-Conrailers, is a gaurantee of a certain ammount of pay for a month. Given an employee works so many days a month, he gets so much money, even if he didn't actually make that much. If he doesn't hit his minimum, the Dock pays the difference. Likewise, on furloughs, the Dock pays guys who's jobs were lost because their train or pool was abolished. So there are several guys sitting at home right now making their Dock without working one day. They're the ones who don't really mind being furloughed, because either way they're getting paid.
Currently, there's been a huge shakeup on the ex-CR territory because of a major rule that wasn't being enforced. That rule basically states that the person in a region with the highest Dock must work on the highest paying job. That really hurts a lot of these guys who were on 'Retirement' jobs that only worked four hours a day. See, before it didn't matter that these guys worked four hours a day, because their large Dock paid the difference of what they weren't making working long hours. Now they're being forced onto the high-mileage long-day jobs. Also, I should note that the scale for the Dock to be paid was taken from a random period in the employees' career based on how much they made in that period. That became their dock.
I'm sure I got it all wrong, so flame away. I tried.
Date: 01/12/02 23:45The New York Dock Railroad consolidated operations with the Brooklyn East District Terminal railroad in 1978. This led to a number of employees becaming surplus to their combined needs. In trying to negotiate the terms of the layoffs, and what benefits each surplus employee would receive, the issue ended up in court, and was appealed up to the US Supreme Court. The court handed down their ruling in 1979, and this has become known as the New York Dock provisions. Among other terms, the major item was that long term employees would be entitled to 6 years of salary protection in the event of a merger or consolidation.
New York Dock provisions are now used in many other industries other than the railways.
If you like reading dry legal documents, here are the provisions of the agreement:
Date: 01/13/02 04:30As I understand it, the New York Dock protection is invoked upon mergers where the ICC or now STB has in their opinion required it. Provisions of the Dock are that one must be adversely effected by the results of the merger. To be adversly effected, one must provide proof that their wages were lessened by the effects of the merger, or their ability to hold an equal job to one they had before the merger.
Another provision of the Dock is the test period in which one's wages reflected the pre-merger earnings. This test period is chosen in either the merger agreement negotiated, or by order from the STB. In other words, one cannot pick and choose the period.
Lastly mentioined was the requirement that an eligble man receiving the Dock must hold the highest paying job while receiving it. I believe this provision is in writing, and not something negotiated. Many timekeepers are not aware of this, and when it comes to light, the "Dockers" scramble to save their Dock.
Dockers here usually get from $2000 to $8000 over and above their present earnings. Out of 13 engineers here, 7 are on the Dock, and 5 hold the extra board.
One man in particular is in a position to retire, even before the 30/60 bill that was passed. Yet the only reason he stays is his Dock. He works a local wayfreight and you better believe it runs like the old Rocket used to. Six a.m. departure without fail very day, and heaven help the soul that delays him.
Personally, although I was not employed during the test period on the CNW, I do qualify for moving from St. Paul when after the Merger Agreement was signed and went into effect. I was forced to a merger created pool in Mason City. In otherwords, I was adversly effected.
RRKen
Mason City, IA
So if I, a conductor with a seniority date of 10/99, am still employed with CSX when UP (or whomever) merges with us, and my job is adversely affected by it, that I would be entitled to collect New York Dock guarantee also?