Hundreds of NJ Transit workers rallied in Woodbridge Saturday, calling on state leaders to accept contract terms previously negotiated by federal mediators. Watch video
WOODBRIDGE -- Hundreds of NJ Transit workers rallied in Woodbridge Saturday, calling for a resolution to the protracted contract dispute between the agency and its unions.
"We don't take striking lightly, you don't take striking lightly," said Joel Parker, negotiator for the union coalition representing the transit workers. "It's your livelihoods at stake. And there's only one reason we're here: The intransigence of NJ Transit."
After five years of negotiations, the two sides have until March 13 to reach an agreement that could avert a work stoppage. But even as they remain hopeful for a resolution, many transit workers gathered in Tanzman Park Saturday said they're preparing for a strike.
"No one on either side of this wants to inconvenience the public," said veteran locomotive engineer Rodger Richardson. "But we've done everything we're supposed to do. We've followed all of the procedures."
Several union representatives and elected officials speaking at the rally urged state leaders to accept recommendations from a Presidential Emergency Board, which sided with the unions. NJ Transit officials rejected those recommendations.
At least one of the remaining sticking points surrounds health benefits, with the unions offering to pay 2.5 percent of their straight time salary for health benefits.
NJ Transit wants employees to pay 10 to 20 percent of premiums, depending on which plan they're covered by.
Transit and rail union officials sat down Friday with federal mediators National Mediation Board in Washington, D.C., where the two sides discussed a new offer from the agency to avert a March 13 strike or lockout.
While the two sides failed to reach a settlement, a release from the National Mediation Board said the discussions were "positive and constructive."
Asked if an agreement is in the offing, coalition spokesman Stephen Burkert declined to discuss details.
"We're closer now than we were months ago," Burkert said following the rally. "We want to settle this, and we want to do it at the bargaining table."
The two sides will meet again Monday in Newark in hope of hammering out a final settlement, Burkett said.
Details of the agency's most recent offer have not been disclosed.
Staff reporter Larry Higgs contributed to this article
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.