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To : VIA Rail Locomotive Engineers Central Region

This memo is a further update to the current CIRB proceedings as reported by our Ottawa Office from the CIRB meeting held Friday March 4 th .

VIA presented their seniority list to Madame Pineau based on their interpretation of "trainmans date" which was not what was expected from the CIRB.

As a result VIA was given until March 14 th to make a written submission to Madame Pineau. The TCRC and the UTU/Cairns group have until March 21 st to reply. VIA will be given until March 24 th to offer any rebuttal.

The CIRB has further given the parties until March 28 th to review and verify the list of Transfer Agreement assignments that have been filled since July 1 st 1998 .

The next meeting is scheduled for March 18 th in Toronto .

Numerous questions regarding seniority have been submitted through the Divisions and forwarded to TCRC counsel to be addressed by the CIRB during the remedy portion of this process. At this point we do not have answers or clarifications to questions regarding individual concerns or complaints' relating to seniority as the matter has yet to be clarified by the CIRB, the party who issued the remedial order.

Those who have followed this case are aware that CIRB decisions 35 and 230 were appealed and argued for close to 6 years throughout the legal system and recently upheld by the Supreme Court.

Although the TCRC was not and remains not in favour of any changes to seniority, the parties involved are in the "remedy portion" of the award and the Chairperson

(Madame Pineau) has issued directions to all concerned.

All questions of language clarification/interpretation submitted are to be answered by the CIRB.

The TCRC simply can not explain any dovetailed or other seniority list published or produced by another party as a result of Decision 230.

Please formally report to your local committee if anyone from another party including VIA is promoting their ideas regarding seniority or other issues. Controversial ideas or opinions which create personal anxiety and uncertainty should be reported and will be forwarded to TCRC counsel.

We will continue to provide updates to Divisions that are as relevant and as accurate as possible without speculating or guessing at outcomes or what specific language means.

Fraternally,