To All Train Service Employees:

ACRE officers have responded to members' questions concerning the meal period. ACRE claims the meal period was “given away” in 1988. If ACRE desires to circulate misinformation, the organization should at least employ the proper date. The meal window was opened in the agreement settled in January 1991. The window was changed from 4 to 6½ hours and extended to 3 to 6 ½ hours, maintaining 30 minutes for a meal period. The window was opened originally to pay for each member in Train Service to be paid for filling out reports, cash reports and yard reports. A verbal agreement obtained in the first week of December 1990, included pay for reports for everyone, raises of 5%, 5%, and 5% in a 3 year contract, off duty times for Conductors went from 25 minutes to 30 minutes and a union sponsored 401K plan (no plan existed prior to 1991).

In the second week of December, Ed Farley, yes that Ed Farley, of the infamous vote in October of 2004, for compensation towards his defined pension benefit for his “lost time as a General Chairman”, protested his loss in the November 1990 election for General Chairman. Ed did not protest the tabulation, he protested because he did not accompany the ballots in the elevator from the UTU Local office to the lobby of the office building. After Metro-North labor Relations was notified by Farley, that he had protested the election, the carrier withdrew the verbal agreement. General Chairman Phelan believed he had to settle before February to obtain the 5% raise for each year of the 3-year deal. It turns out Phelan was right about the deal, the three 5% raises were taken off of the table for the LIRR in February. The final agreement for Train Service members was three 5% raises in a 3 year deal, the meal window remained open, no compensation for cash reports, 30 minutes off duty time instead of 25 minutes and a MTA sponsored 457 Plan instead of a union sponsored 401K Plan. Farley lost his protest, but this protest cost everyone in Train Service.

Members that have hired out after 2000 should ask Bottalico when he gave away personal days for newly hired Trainman during their first 3 years of service? It was not in a contract proposal. Inquire of Bottalico what was gained for eliminating the personal days for new hires, and when exactly did he gave this item back to the company?

                  Sincerely,

                  Art May