National Arbitration Das Award on DBCS, MPFSM, ICS MMOs (2005)

Arbitrator Shyam Das found that the APWU waived its claim that minimum skill levels in the DBCS MMO, as applied to the Maintenance Craft, were not fair, reasonable and equitable since the union had not challenged a previous DBCS MMO that included tasks that did not differ significantly from those in the current MMO. Das further determined that preventive maintenance tasks set forth in the MMO for the MPFSM that involved checking and inspecting equipment for operability and serviceability required the exercise of judgment beyond the minimum skill level of a Level 5 Mechanic. Therefore, he ruled that designation of Level 5 as the minimum skill level for these tasks in the MMO was not “fair, reasonable, and equitable.” Das decided that (based on the evidence) the minimum skill level set out in the MMO for nine other tasks performed on the MPFSM was acceptable.