ARTICLE 12

TRAVEL AND RELOCATION REIMBURSEMENT

Section 12.1 Recognition of Varied Type of Operations.

It is recognized that Company operations throughout the country are varied as to type and location and that this has required and will continue to require the use and application of different policies, regarding reimbursement for travel and relocation expenses, depending on the particular circumstances involved, such as: housing, transportation and other personnel requirements; policies and requirements of the cognizant military and other governmental agencies; duration and nature of assignment; considerations as to any urgency identified with the assignment or operation involved; and other related factors.

Section 12.2 Copies of Policies to Be Furnished Union.

The Company will furnish to the Union copies of the present published Company policies relating to reimbursement of travel and relocation expenses.

Section 12.3 Advance Notice to Employee of Applicable Policy.

Each employee who is requested to relocate or who is afforded an opportunity to relocate, shall be advised by the Company in writing, prior to any commitment on his/her part to undertake the assignment, as to the published policy or policies and the particular provisions thereof that are to be applied to him/her in connection with the assignment if he/she takes it; and if he/she takes the assignment, later revisions of published policies or parts thereof will not cause any change in the reimbursement policy or policies specified in the advice.

Section 12.4 Changes in Policies.

The Company may make further revisions of such published policies or establish additional published policies and in each such instance will furnish copies to the Union. Reimbursement provisions of such published policies, which are applicable to employees covered by this Agreement, will not be revised to provide less favorable reimbursement for such employees, except by mutual agreement between the Company and the Union.

Section 12.5 Determination of Applicable Policies.

The policy or policies and the part or parts thereof to be applied to the individual in each instance in accordance with Section 12.3 shall be determined by the Company.

Section 12.6 Scope of Grievance and Arbitration Proceedings as Applied to Travel and Relocation

Reimbursement.

The form and content of the various published Company policies regarding reimbursement for travel and relocation expenses, the revisions thereof or additions thereto that may be made by the Company from time to time, and the determination of the policy or policies and the part or parts thereof to be applied to the individual in each instance in accordance with this Article 12 shall not be subject to the grievance procedure or arbitration provisions of this Agreement; however, claims that the policy or policies specified in the written advice given to the employee under Section 12.3 have not been applied to the employee shall be subject to the grievance and arbitration procedures.