Progress In Talks Between Unions, NJ Transit As Strike Looms
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Both sides in the labor dispute involving New Jersey Transit and rail worker unions characterized negotiations Tuesday as encouraging, but an agreement remained elusive as a weekend strike deadline drew nearer.
Stephen Burkert, chairman of SMART-Transportation Division Local 60. Called the talks at Newark's Gateway Hilton "very productive." Gary Dellaverson, a labor negotiator representing NJ Transit, said they were "valuable."
The parties will next meet on Thursday morning. NJ Transit is holding its scheduled monthly board meeting on Wednesday.
"We're going in the right direction," Burkert said. "We are closer today then we were yesterday."
Burkert said health care costs and wage increases still are to be settled but said Tuesday's session featured proposals and counterproposals.
That was a change from Monday, when NJ Transit said in an emailed statement that the unions made "no material movement in the financial offer and absolutely no movement in the area of health benefits."
Dellaverson sounded a more optimistic tone Tuesday.
"Today's discussions were, I think, valuable," he said. "We look forward to continuing Thursday morning."
About 4,200 union workers have been without a contract for nearly five years. They have authorized a strike for 12:01 a.m. Sunday if contract talks don't pan out.
At stake is rail service for about 100,000 people who commute into New York each day. Of that number, only about 40,000 would be accommodated under a contingency plan outlined by NJ Transit last week that would feature expanded bus service and free park-and-ride lots.
The rest would be consigned to working at home, not working or braving the already congested roads, bridges and tunnels in the New York metro region. Transportation officials last week projected backups of 20 miles or more leading into the Lincoln and Holland tunnels if trains shut down.
The Partnership for New York City, a business organization, has estimated that a rail shutdown would cost New York City employers $5.9 million per hour and would hit the financial industry most heavily.
Two emergency federal panels convened by President Barack Obama in the last several months have made recommendations on wage increases and worker health care payments that have leaned toward the unions' proposals.
The recommendations include annual wage increases of about 2.6 percent over 6 1/2 years. NJ Transit, which had sought increases of about 1.4 percent, said the increases combined with rising health costs would force the agency to raise fares, an assertion the unions dispute.
In comments Monday, Republican Gov. Chris Christie said he wouldn't postpone a planned vacation beginning Tuesday to coincide with his 30th wedding anniversary. He said he would be briefed on progress with the negotiations and would step in if necessary.
"If there's a point where, based on the reports of my negotiators, where my involvement will be helpful in bringing together a resolution, I'd be happy to be involved," he said. "Up to this point, they have not believed my involvement would be helpful."
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