ACR CLRED TO DSND HAS TCASII RA TO CLB.

Narrative

FLYING FLT FROM PIT TO BDL. WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS TO INTERCEPT ROCKDALE 5 ARR AND HAD A XING CLRNC TO CROSS STELLA AT 11000 250 KIAS. CTLR CALLED TFC BEFORE DSCNT. AFTER WE STARTED DSCNT; WE GOT TA ON TCASII AT 16700 THEN RA CLB. WE CLBED AND AFTER CLR OF CONFLICT LEVELED ACFT AT 17700 THEN WENT BACK INTO DSCNT TO MEET XING RESTRICTION. I CALLED CTR FROM THE ARPT AND ASKED ABOUT THE SITUATION. I FOUND OUT CTR WAS WORKING THE VFR AT 16500 (SAME CTLR). I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US A DSCNT WITH A VFR CONFLICT THAT HE WAS WORKING AND KNEW ABOUT WITHOUT VISUAL CONTACT. THE OTHER ACFT HAD US IN SIGHT BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE HIM UNTIL AFTER WE GOT CLB FROM TCASII. ACCORDING TO OUR PROCS WE HAD TO CLB AT MIN RATE ON VSI (WE DIDN'T KNOW THE ACFT HAD US IN SIGHT UNTIL AFTER THE EVENT). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 212853. TCASII GAVE CLR OF CONFLICT AND DSCNT TO ORIGINAL CLRNC OF 11000 FT STARTED AGAIN. WHEN ATC WAS ASKED WHY THEY DSNDED US IN TO KNOWN VFR TFC; THEIR REPLY WAS THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SEPARATE US.