To my fellow coworkers After reading the memorandum dated 02/28/02 it is very clear that the ACRE organization is intended to produce substantial cost savings for Metro North. In the memorandum it is clearly stated that A Bottalico, M Doyle, R Sanzari, and R DeAndrus have job assignments and responsibilities. What are these assignments and responsibilities that have resulted in the substantial cost savings to Metro North ? These cost savings have come from ACRE’s failure to protect our agreements. To date ACRE has not distributed up to date agreement books to the membership, this leaves the ACRE organization open to manipulate the agreements and claims anyway they please. As we have seen through the years ACRE has been giving away our work rules, losing cases through arbitration, and allowing the carrier to have their way in disciplining you the employee. As ACRE is now in so called negotiations we need to come together, as we now know ACRE has assignments and responsibilities to operate in the companies interest. Solidarity is the core of organized labor. Without it, employers are emboldened to engage divide-and-conquer strategies that toss labor unions into the briar patch of a deadly race to the bottom. ACRE was formed to break our solidarity and has been successful The time has come for all of us to rise and protect our future. As stated in the Railway labor act We have the right to organize. That time is now. To stand by and let ACRE negotiate another contract is clearly suicide to the crafts. Sincerely John O’Rourke United Transportation Union Local 77