Needles BLET
Rest Cycle Information

The following engineer boards have rest cycles implemented:

• Needles Board 6 - 06/03 Mandatory

• Needles Board 30 - 06/03 Voluntary

• Barstow Board 6 - 06/03 Mandatory

6/3 Rest Days (Mandatory)

This agreement establishes assigned days off. A work/rest cycle is defined as six (6) consecutive days during which an engineer is available for service, paid in lieu of service (PLD, VAC, Company Business, etc.) or performs work which is known as the work cycle and three (3) consecutive rest days which is known as the rest cycle. 

• The work/rest cycle will be advertised in three (3) month bid packs. Bid packs will be bulletined to be effective on the first Monday in January, first Monday in April, first Monday in July, and the first Monday in October.

• Beginning twenty-four (24) hours before the start of a rest cycle, engineers who are scheduled to begin a rest cycle will be used, when feasible pursuant to BNSF's business needs, on assignments that are scheduled to tie up at the home terminal.

  • Beginning twenty-four (24) hours before the start of their rest cycle, when an engineer on this extra board becomes first out, they may, be run around by engineers following that employee on the extra board if it is determined that the first-out engineer could be used in service that returns the engineer to the home terminal at a later time but before the expiration of the final 24 hours of the work cycle. Once the engineer being held first out is run around by a following engineer, the first-out engineer may not be used in regular service. When runarounds occur as described in this paragraph, there shall be no runaround penalties due for any engineer.

  • In the event an engineer is required to work into the start of their rest days due to manpower needs, engineers will begin their rest cycle upon tie-up at the home terminal and will have their rest cycle adjusted to allow for the full three (3) day rest cycle (not less than seventy-two (72) hours off) upon tie-up at the home terminal.

• All rest days are mandatory and must be observed.

• Guarantee will be paid for all rest days observed.

• Any unpaid layoff during their work cycle will forfeit guarantee for that pay half. FMLA is an upaid layoff and will forfeit the guarantee.

• Any engineer who observes a paid layoff during work cycle will have their guarantee offset by I/15th or I/16th.

• Engineers are expected to utilize smart rest if needed to avoid becoming RSIA unavailable during their work cycle.

  • Use of Smart Rest will not result in a deduction of guarantee so long as the engineer protects their next tour of duty in keeping with current RSIA agreements.

• Engineers on their rest cycle will be removed from the board automatically at 0700 or upon tie-up from previous duty on the first rest day.

6/3 (Voluntary) Rest Days

This agreement establishes assigned days off. A work/rest cycle is defined as six (6) consecutive days during which an engineer is available for service, paid in lieu of service (PLD, VAC, Company Business, etc.) or performs work which is known as the work cycle and three (3) consecutive rest days which is known as the rest cycle. 

• The work/rest cycle will be advertised in three (3) month bid packs. Bid packs will be bulletined to be effective on the first Monday in January, first Monday in April, first Monday in July, and the first Monday in October.

• Engineers are expected to utilize smart rest if needed to avoid becoming RSIA unavailable during their work cycle.

• Engineers cannot book any additional rest (14 hours rest).

• Engineers on their rest cycle will be removed from the board automatically at 0700 or upon tie-up from previous duty on the first rest day.

• You can opt out of the rest days, or part of the rest days, but must do so ay least 48 hours prior to starting the rest days.

• Engineers who start a rest cycle but wish not to observe the whole cycle can mark up after 24 hours of rest is observed.

• Starting 24 hours prior to the start of the rest days, engineers can elect to Foot of Board. If they FOB and are required to work to the away from home terminal will have their rest days started upon tie up at the home terminal. They can also request to be deadheaded home upon arrival at the away from home terminal but the decision is at BNSF's discretion. 

• Engineers who chose to not FOB on the last work day of the work cycle and are called to work to the away from home terminal will start their rest days upon tie-up at the home terminal but will not have their rest days extended.

• Engineers cannot be displaced from their rest cycle for the entire three (3) month bid pack. The exception is the junior engineer on the pool may be displaced in a few situations, see the agreement for full details.

6/3 Rest Days (Mandatory)

This agreement establishes assigned days off. A work/rest cycle is defined as six (6) consecutive days during which an engineer is available for service, paid in lieu of service (PLD, VAC, Company Business, etc.) or performs work which is known as the work cycle and three (3) consecutive rest days which is known as the rest cycle. 

• The work/rest cycle will be advertised in three (3) month bid packs. Bid packs will be bulletined to be effective on the first Monday in January, first Monday in April, first Monday in July, and the first Monday in October.

• Beginning twenty-four (24) hours before the start of a rest cycle, engineers who are scheduled to begin a rest cycle will be used, when feasible pursuant to BNSF's business needs, on assignments that are scheduled to tie up at the home terminal.

  • Beginning twenty-four (24) hours before the start of their rest cycle, when an engineer on this extra board becomes first out, they may, be run around by engineers following that employee on the extra board if it is determined that the first-out engineer could be used in service that returns the engineer to the home terminal at a later time but before the expiration of the final 24 hours of the work cycle. Once the engineer being held first out is run around by a following engineer, the first-out engineer may not be used in regular service. When runarounds occur as described in this paragraph, there shall be no runaround penalties due for any engineer.

  • In the event an engineer is required to work into the start of their rest days due to manpower needs, engineers will begin their rest cycle upon tie-up at the home terminal and will have their rest cycle adjusted to allow for the full three (3) day rest cycle (not less than seventy-two (72) hours off) upon tie-up at the home terminal.

• All rest days are mandatory and must be observed.

• Guarantee will be paid for all rest days observed.

• Any unpaid layoff during their work cycle will forfeit guarantee for that pay half. FMLA is an upaid layoff and will forfeit the guarantee.

• Any engineer who observes a paid layoff during work cycle will have their guarantee offset by I/15th or I/16th.

• Engineers are expected to utilize smart rest if needed to avoid becoming RSIA unavailable during their work cycle.

  • Use of Smart Rest will not result in a deduction of guarantee so long as the engineer protects their next tour of duty in keeping with current RSIA agreements.

• Engineers on their rest cycle will be removed from the board automatically at 0700 or upon tie-up from previous duty on the first rest day.