June 8, 2005
Mr. Paul C. Thompson
UTU International President
14600 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44107-4250
Dear Mr. Thompson:
I am in receipt of a letter you signed in which
you allege "a significant group" of Metro-North
train service employees have requested the
assistance of the UTU to circulate "A" cards on
Metro-North property and "sufficient" membership
applications have been processed to support a
UTU Local. You also included a list of appointed
interim UTU officers.
Without engaging in a discussion over the
meaning and implication of the terms
"significant and sufficient", be advised that
the Association of Commuter Rail Employees has
been certified in democratically conducted
elections administered by the National Mediation
Board (NMB)
to collectively bargain for Conductors on MTA/Metro-North
Railroad. To refresh your memory, the actual
votes for NMB Case No. R-6726 were counted in
Washington on February 28, 2000. ACRE won the
election by a vote count of 600 for ACRE and 68
for the UTU which, incidentally, was the largest
victory margin over an incumbent union anyone
could remember.
With the loss of this representational election
to ACRE five years ago, the UTU also lost its
right to represent Conductors on MTA/Metro-North
Railroad. As a consequence, the UTU officers you
have appointed have absolutely no authority to
act in any manner on behalf of Metro-North
Conductors. I hope this clears up any
misconceptions you may have had concerning
representational authority.
As for the circulation of A-cards by the UTU,
Metro-North Conductors are much more intelligent
than the UTU has ever given them credit for
being. They are fully aware of the harm that has
been done to all railroad employees by the UTU's
activities and are fully aware of the personal
agendas that are driving UTU sympathizers. ACRE
is confident that Metro-North Conductors have no
intention of returning to the UTU, a union that
has failed them in the past and continues to
fail its
members in the present. It is apparent through
your misspelling of the names of your newly
appointed local 77 officers that you are as out
of touch with Metro North as your imprisoned
predecessors.
If you require any further clarification on
these matters do not hesitate to contact my
office.
Yours truly,
Anthony Bottalico
General Chairman ACRE LD1
