FEBRUARY 5, 2016, 7:00 PM LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016, 12:34 AM
BY CHRISTOPHER MAAG
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Both NJ Transit and its unions are preparing for a train shutdown on March 13 that would cripple the region’s transportation network, the sides confirmed on Friday. Threat of a strike by the unions or a lockout by NJ Transit is the latest escalation in a five-year dispute that leaves the two sides far apart on workers’ pay and health insurance benefits.
“Prepare yourself economically,” the New Jersey Transit Rail Coalition told its 4,200 members in a newsletter issued Friday. “At 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, every union on New Jersey Transit will strike if no agreement is reached.”
“NJ Transit is actively involved in developing a robust alternative service plan in the event the unions call a strike,” said Dennis Martin, NJ Transit’s interim executive director. “We are working with our regional partners, including NJDOT, to provide as much service as possible to our customers.”
A shutdown would make it incredibly difficult for people in New Jersey and New York City to travel and get to work, said David Peter Alan, chairman of the Lackawanna Coalition, a transit advocacy group.
“I think it’s very likely” that a strike will happen, Alan said. “It would be a disaster.”
