Are there advantages to being a full member of ACRE?

As a dues-paying member, one may vote on Local Division 9 issues, such as officer elections and the agreement. That's the only difference between member and non-member, a difference relevant only at election time and at contract time.

One may become a dues-paying member of ACRE immediately prior to Local Division 9 votes, and drop back out right afterward. The next time in the near future that voting rights will be an issue will be officer elections in December 2008, unless someone resigns before then and prompts a special election.

A non-member of ACRE paying the “seniority maintenance fee” has a perfect right to raise hell about how ACRE spends their money. After all, once the money goes into the bank to be used to pay the bills, whether it's from full-dues members or maintenance fee payers, it's all green. Non-members also have the right to raise questions and expect answers as to the negotiation of agreements, as the alleged purpose of their paying the fee is to help pay the costs of negotiating and defending the agreement.

No matter whether member or “Agency Fee Payer”, ACRE legally owes you:

•  Full and proper representation at investigations - this even though they do not have the resources and abilities of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen;

•  Prompt help with crew-office squabbles such as vacation changes and personal-day requests, since that's a major part of defending the Agreement on our property (I for one have never had a problem with vacation changes, even though I have never been a member of ACRE);

•  All the services ACRE as the labor organization holding the contract can legally and properly provide in dealings between an engineer and Metro-North, without prejudice.

Why do I specify “Local Division 9” and not all of ACRE?

On their 2006 LM-2 report with the US Department of Labor, Local Division 9 lists 20 Agency Fee Payers. Agency Fee Payers are not voting members. According to that LM-2, Local Division 9 had 363 dues-paying active members. There is no distinction in status on Division 9's LM-2 between student engineers, rank-and-file working engineers, and engineers in management positions. Therefore, all student, rank-and-file, and management engineers in membership dues-paying status (as opposed to Agency Fee Payers) are full voting members of Local Division 9. (I wonder, were ballots for the recent agreement sent to everyone who pays Local Division 9 dues, including students and management?)

On the other hand, ACRE's “National Headquarters” for 2006 lists NO Agency Fee Payers. Neither did Local Division 1. This means that everyone who pays any money to ACRE, whether a “seniority maintenance fee” or regular dues; whether student, rank-and-file, or management, is entitled to a vote on all Executive Board-level issues and elections in ACRE.

I wonder, with there being no “Agency Fee Payers” listed on Local Division 1's LM-2, and again no distinction in status between students, rank-and-file, and management, have all people paying money to Local Division 1 gotten agreement ballots? If you paid your money, you were entitled to a ballot.

Mary Donch

Vice-Local Chairman, GCT

BLE&T Division 127