Well Hello Mr. John Gains a long time that I do not hear from you. And thank you for your oh so kind words in the ACRE NEWS Letter you sent to the membership. How much did that cost us, the ACRE MEMBERSHIP, to print and mail this collateral damage? Remember it's my money you use to send these mailings and my fellow co-workers dues money that you wasted AGAIN. I pay my dues not for your entertainment but for you to do real UNION work. I guess you can try to pull the wool over the new ACRE members but not myself or many others who have signed A-cards. Jack when and where did you decide that money was a greater salvation than helping union members. I am of my own free mind and Art May and Tom Gleason have not turned me against ACRE. I worked at North White Plains with a real union man. Joe the ticket agent that works NWP is a local chairman for TCU and he's in an International union. His UNION is not paid by the MTA as ACRE is, so they do not have to cow-tail and or give away agreements as ACRE does. It's SAD to see how GREED and a little money has turned people such as you. I really don't take kindly to my ACRE officials calling me at work on a company phone with THREATS of violence and job loss. That's Labor Racketeering. When Anthony Bottalico who is a Union Official and my General Chairman called the Harmon crew room in the presence of 6 witnesses that was the line in the sand that he should have never crossed. I have not come 30 years on the railroad to see a union turned into an association that is a “FOR PROFIT BUSINESS” which now takes money out of my pocket and future railroaders pockets. We have signed a sub par contract and have given away most of the work rules that our father's fought for years ago. Angelo Chick penned a newspaper many moons ago TRUTH, LIES AND OTHER BULLSHIT. I wish he were still here today to straighten ACRE out about union work. At least Angelo spoke the truth, even if it hurt. I as well as many others want all the ACRE officials to DEBATE the people that ACRE fears. And it's not the MTA…The MTA are the people…. that pay 70% of the ACRE salary in order to get what they want out of train crews with your ACRE giving away the store. The people that want to debate you are the people that want a UNION back, people that do not work for the COMPANY “ METRO-NORTH”. If your ACRE officials think for a minute that the membership will not support a STRIKE from the coalition of unions, then you're sadly mistaken. Why would you lobby the National Mediation Board not to release the coalition of unions at the CRC in Baltimore 2 weeks ago? Since when does a UNION travel with the MTA'S negotiator RAY BURNEY from Labor Relations in order to get this task accomplished? When you have an association that is paid MTA money I guess this is the way things get done. Listen to me now ACRE….. I will not cross a picket line that the coalition put's up around Metro-North property and will not honor a strike that YOUR ACRE will put this Railroad into for your own agenda. I think most railroad men and women will also not cross that picket line and the new hires will listen to GOOD UNION PERSONS not ACRE ASSOICATION OFFICIALS that put MTA money into their pockets and pick the pockets of the unsuspecting members that now work as conductors and engineers and have never been in a REAL UNION …… “YET”. Enough said. PEOPLE you have to make up your own minds and tell ACRE to kiss your ass if they intimidate you or threaten you at home or while at work. There are labor laws to protect you. The NMB knows what ACRE is about and up to. Sign you're A-card today and let's finish off ACRE once and for all.

Sincerely, Michael O'Connor, CONDUCTOR