Turnpike Strike Possible

Toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway may soon leave their booths and head to the picket lines.

A similar strike in 1995 (photo) crippled the busy highway for the Independence Day weekend.

Toll collectors voted Sunday to give union leaders the authority to call a strike if ongoing contract talks fail to produce a deal.

Contracts for toll collectors on both highways expire Tuesday, but officials on both sides say they're optimistic a deal can be reached. Both sides are due to return to the bargaining table later Monday.

About 300 New Jersey Turnpike employees called out sick Friday or left work early, causing officials to obtain an injunction against further job actions.

Turnpike officials said Friday's action had little effect on motorists because most toll collectors stayed on the job.

Workers are seeking 4 percent raises in each of the next four years.

Fran Ehret, president of the union that represents 900 toll collectors, maintenance workers and office employees, said the workers have been offered no raise in the first year and small raises in each subsequent year.

During the last toll collector strike in 1995, the Turnpike was forced to waive toll collections temporarily to avoid traffic jams on Independence Day.

About 60 percent of the transactions on the highways are now completed via E-ZPass.

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