SUMMARY OF A.C.R.E. DIVISION 1 OFFICERS

SALARIES FOR 2004

 

SALARY STRUCTURE AS PER DIVISION 1 LODGE ACTION:

 

General Chairman   $5,603 per month - $67,232 per year
Secretary of GCA   $1,616 per month - $19,392 per year
Local Chairman (5 positions)   $1,616 per month - $19,352 per year
President   $ 692 per month - $ 8,305 per year
Local Secretary   $ 692 per month - $ 8,305 per year
Leg. Representative (2 positions)   $ 692 per month - $ 8,305 per year
Treasurer   $1,159 per month - $13,908 per year
Vice-President   $ 231 per month - $ 2,769 per year

 

ACTUAL SALARIES FOR DIVISION 1 OFFICERS IN 2004

 

Tony Bottalico - General Chairman   $67,248 (plus company salary)
Andy Steimle - Secretary GCA   $23,001 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 3,609
Bryan Marcella - President   $16,400 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 8,095
John Scalabrini - Local Chairman   $22,116 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 2,724
Ralph Sanzari - Local Chairman   $27,706 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 8,314
Bob Felicetta - Local Chairman   $19,707 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 315
Dennis Perri - Local Chairman   $30,989 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $11,597
Kirk Thomas - Local Chairman   $21,665 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 2,273
Mark Amorello - Treasurer   $17,591 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 3,683
Paul Holland - Secretary   $17,740 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 9,335
Mike Shaw - Vice President   $ 8,618 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 5,849
Ken Curry - Leg. Representative NY   $15,224 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 6,919
Dennis Pope - Leg. Representative Conn.   $13,963 - exceeded Lodge approved salary structure by $ 5,658
*Bill Quinn - Local Chairman Yardmasters   $12,140
Lloyd Fischbeck - Investigations Officer   $21,384
Employees (no names listed)   $ 8,943

 

*NOTE: Bill Quinn represents approximately 25-30 yardmasters.

 

OPERATING EXPENSES FOR DIVISION 1 2004:

 

Total Income   $663,955
Total Disbursements    -683,493
Operating Deficit   $ 19,538
Accounts payable    - 5,393
Due to ACRE Executive Board   $-20,960
 
Total Deficit   $ -45,891

 


The Union Business Issue

 

ACRE has recently reported the MTA is reimbursed for all expenses related to compensating ACRE officers for lost earnings derived from marking off for union business, as per the sidebar agreement signed without membership knowledge. The LM-2 for Division 1 reflects an entry of $28,600 for payable reimbursement to the MTA. This sum appears deficient. If ACRE actually does reimburse the Carrier for all expenses, approximately 20% of this sum is payroll and railroad retirement taxes, leaving approximately $22,900 for lost earnings compensation to ACRE officers.

 

Question to consider: It is generally an established tenet regarding union officer compensation that virtually the only method available for a union officer to receive compensation over the Lodge approved salary structure is to incur lost earnings due to taking time off from a service assignment for union business. Beginning in 2004, after the contract ratification, ACRE officers are compensated by Metro North for lost earnings so they can receive the 3% employee contribution without interruption to the defined pension benefit. If so, how is it possible Local 1 officers received a combined total of $81,650 over the Lodge approved salary in 2004?

 

Each Local 1 officer, except for one, exceeded the Lodge approved salary by at least several thousand dollars. Several, you may notice, did so by 2 or 3 times the approved salary. Sanzari is compensated on average of 3 times per week for “company business” – no lost earnings – and yet still exceeded his salary structure by $8,314.

 

Local 1 overpaid its officers by $81,650, not including the salaries received by employees - $8,943, or Quinn $12,140, whose salary structure is unknown.

 

Question : Is it possible Dennis Pope performed for ACRE at a discount in 2004? In 2003 Pope earned $32,423 (4 times his approved salary) but earned only $13,963 in 2004, $5,658 above his approved salary. Pope's “union business” would be reflected in his Metro North paycheck, not his union salary from ACRE. Based upon past salaries received by Pope, it would appear that perhaps, the major portion of the “payroll reimbursement MTA” could be attributed to Pope's mark offs for union business. The same theory would apply to Gaines. His 2004 Executive Legislative Director salary is $10,000 below his 2003 salary. Did Gaines perform for ACRE at a discount in 2004? His past salary history would indicate he did not. The entry in the Executive Board LM-2 reflects “reimbursed expenses” of $6,880. If you deduct approximately 20% for payroll and Railroad Retirement Taxes, this leaves approximately $5,500 for lost earnings compensation for Executive Board officers. This sum does appear low, based on the overages paid to Executive Board Officers. Amorello $10,273 over salary, Gaines $33,419 (no verifiable salary structure), Shaw $3,251 (no salary structure) and employees $2,966.

 

Note : Without having access to ACRE's or Metro North's internal records, a true accounting of compensation received by ACRE officers for union business lost earnings cannot be determined.

 

Upon review of the salaries received by ACRE Local 1 officers, it is not difficult to comprehend the source of these officers devotion to ACRE. Gaines has stated in the past “It's all about the money.” These generous salaries were not available to Local 77 previously, and would not be available if the train service employees on Metro North were still in the UTU. For example, the salaries for former Local 77 officers, in the last full year of operation follow. The salary structure for Local Chairman was a maximum of $1,000.00 per month.

 

SALARY & EXPENSES FOR LOCAL 77 OFFICERS – 1999

 

Bryan Marcella – President       Salary $ 1,445, Expenses $1,357 – Total $ 2,802

Mark Amorello – Treasurer       Salary $ 9,755, Expenses $3,761 – Total $13,516

Paul Holland – Secretary       Salary $ 7,570, Expenses $1,897 – Total $ 9,467

Jeff Aveis – Leg. Representative     Salary $ 2,655, Expenses $4,924 – Total $ 7,579

Pete Coleman – Local Chairman     Salary $ 5,874, Expenses $5,177 – Total $11,051

Robert Felicetta – Local Chairman     Salary $ 9,110, Expenses $1,798 – Total $10,908

William McNeil – Local Chairman     Salary $ 8,218, Expenses $5,630 – Total $13,848

Ralph Sanzari – Local Chairman     Salary $14,518, Expenses $2,884 – Total $17,402

John Scalibrini – Local Chairman     Salary $10,891, Expenses $2,900 – Total $13,801

Andy Steimle – Local Chairman     Salary $10,917, Expenses $2,026 – Total $12,943

 

SALARY & EXPENSES FOR GENERAL COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT OFFICERS

LOCAL 77 – 1998

 

1998 is the last year a complete LM-2 was filed by the General Committee of Local 77.

 

Anthony Bottalico – General Chairman   Salary $102,692, Expenses $1,360 – Total $104,052

Andrew Steimle – Secretary       Salary $ 8,149, Expenses $ 518 – Total $ 8,667

 

In his position of ACRE General Chairman, Bottalico earns approximately $90,000 per year, plus benefits from the MTA and approximately $67,000 in salary from ACRE.