Negotiators for two of New Jersey's busiest highways and their unionized toll collectors reached tentative agreements on new contracts yesterday afternoon, averting possible strikes or other job actions on the Fourth of July holiday.þþOfficials for one of the roads, the New Jersey Turnpike, expressed relief after the settlement was reached because its collectors and other workers had threatened to strike at any point between today and next Monday. Turnpike officials say they expect nearly four million vehicles will use the 148-mile highway in that five-day period.þþThere will not be a strike,ÿ said Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, which operates the highway. ÿWe are very happy and are very appreciative the union was committed to resolving this.ÿþþThe turnpike's agreement was announced about 5:30 p.m., a few hours after officials of the Garden State Parkway reached agreement with its collectors. The atmosphere in the turnpike negotiations were more tense because its collectors, members of Local 194 of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, had authorized a job action last Friday. The parkway's collectors, members of Local 196 of the same union, had not issued a similar threat.þþTo clear the way for yesterday's negotiations, leaders of both local unions had extended their contracts for 24 hours beyond their expiration at 12:01 a.m. yesterday.þþÿWe feel it's a fair settlement,ÿ said Fran Ehret, president of Local 194. ÿWe expect the members will ratify it. We got some improvements in working conditions we feel our members were looking for.ÿþþMs. Ehret did not discuss the wage package in the tentative agreement before the union's 1,500 full- and part-time collectors, maintenance workers and office staff were told about it. Local 194 had sought annual pay increases of 4 percent in a four-year contract. Turnpike officials had offered no increase in the first year of a new contract and an 11 percent increase spread over the last three. þþThe executive director of the parkway, Timothy C. McDonough, said the agreement with both unions called for no increase in the first year and an increase of 11.5 percent over the last years.þþTo prepare for a possible strike, turnpike officials had mobilized a standby force of part-time and seasonal workers to staff toll booths where about 38 percent of the turnpike tolls are collected. The other 62 percent are paid automatically through the E-ZPass system.þþThe turnpike's toll collectors last struck in early July 1995, forcing officials to allow all drivers to travel the highway without paying tolls for about eight hours until a judge issued a back-to-work order.þþ
Source: NY Times
