ACRE officers have been promoting the new contract for several months. The promotions intensity will increase the closer ACRE is to releasing information for members to review. Expect ACRE's unique method of contract promotion, experienced by ACRE members during the last agreements ratification process. For example, certain members will be reminded of “favors” they have received from ACRE, a vacation change processed or a personal day received, assisting in the hiring process of a family member or friend. These “favors” are duties of representation. ACRE is obligated to provide these services for members. ACRE will downplay the impact of the zero on the end of the contract. ACRE officers will gleefully state that the new pension Tier is for new hires only. For now, it is. No matter what ACRE states to the contrary, in the future collective bargaining session, the MTA will attempt to place all employees in the new Tier. The MTA will also seek to obtain a co-payment of health and welfare benefits for all employees in the next contract.

Several items for consideration, Bottalico has stated on several occasions in the past that he would never accept a zero in a contract. He has accepted zeros in two consecutive agreements. During the previous contracts promotion ACRE stated the co-payment of health and welfare benefits was addressed and only new hires would have to co-pay. The MTA placed a co-payment for all employees at the bargaining table in this contract during contract negotiations with the Metro-North Coalition. This past summer ACRE officers dispensed “information” to members that because of the Coalition, everyone would have to co-pay 1 ½% of their gross wages for health and welfare benefits. This situation did not materialize in the proposed contract due to the raise in the retirement age (from age 55 to age 62) for all future employees.

ACRE received the defined pension benefit in 2004. The Coalition was negotiating for the benefit in their combined contract (2003 to 2006, 2007 to June 2010). The LIRR unions obtained the pension benefit for their post 1988 members in late 2003; the pre 1988 members already had a pension benefit. Three years after ACRE received the defined pension benefit, the pension plan is being modified. This situation does not bode well for future MTA employees.

The officers of UTU Local 77