NOTE: The FRA made contact with Terminal Supt Hommerding on 10-2-00 concerning this issue.

Jay L Schollmeyer Local Chairman 1637 Portland, OR 97215 Email jay@jaysworks.com

      Mr. Hommerding / Verity, I am appalled with your statement, “I do not want to over react just because of one busy day.”  That response exemplifies the callus, uncaring attitude of the BNSF.

       I cannot understand why additional rooms outside the allocated block cannot be sold.  Many times crews have been required to wait for a room while rooms were available outside the allocated block.

      Crews being deprived of rest while waiting for a room is unacceptable under any circumstance.

Yours Truly,
JL Schollmeyer
Local Chairman 1637

Dear Jay,

Thank you for your letter expressing your concerns regarding the shortage of rooms at the Pasco Double Tree.

I was aware that we would be short of rooms on September 1 3, 2000 and had called over to the Double Tree, that morning, to advise them of this. They agreed to call in and/or keep people on overtime to help clean rooms as soon as crews, going on duty, vacated them. Even with this extra afford there were crew members that had to wait for rooms, the Double Tree excepted this responsibility and bought each of the crew members a meal, so they could eat and wait in the restaurant while their rooms were being cleaned. This shows us the Double Tree is concerned and cares about our business.

You are correct, we have made the following room reductions at the Double Tree: ten rooms per day on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, five rooms per day on Wednesday and no change on the number of rooms on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This adds up to about 140 room per month reduction, in August we paid for 172 unused occupancies to the tune of $6,321.00.

I will continue to monitor our room usage and appreciate any feedback you can give me, I just don't want of over reacted and add more rooms because we had one busy day.

Sincerely,
Douglas G. Verity

Cc:    Jim Hommerding Trainmasters

Jay L Schollmeyer Local Chairman 1637 Portland, OR 97215 Email jay@jaysworks.com

     Mr. Hommerding, on Wednesday September 13, 2000 you had crews waiting 2 hours for a room at the Double Tree in Pasco, WA.  (Crew statements attached). This is not an isolated instance, the problems of issuing occupied room, waiting for rooms and waiting for transportation is well documented.

     In August I had an opportunity to discuss this problem with Mr. RA Pennisi of the Federal Railroad Administration. I was told that the FRA’s position was rest could not commence until an employee had a room.

      September 16, 2000 I called the Double Tree in Pasco to enquire as to the room situation, I was informed that on September 15 the BNSF reduced the contract rooms by 5. Why would you reduce your room allocation when you already have crews waiting for rooms?

      I can sympathize with your problem, last Wednesday Mr. Rose issuing a voice mail on how bad the third-quarter will be and the need to eliminate unnecessary costs.

However crews waiting two-hours for a room after working all night is unacceptable!

Yours Truly,
JL Schollmeyer
Local Chairman 1637

cc:   RA Pennisi
      RR Fay
      JR Gooding
      R E Stephens
      JD Fitzgerald