June 21, 2016
Federal officials have asked NJ Transit and the two rail unions that rejected a proposed contact to continue a cooling off period until July 16, past the June 30 deadline for a lock-out or strike by conductors and engineers.
National Mediation Board members made the request in a June 16 email to NJ Transit's head negotiator and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and SMART-Transportation division, which represents conductors and trainmen.
In a copy of the the request, obtained by NJ Advance Media, the mediation board asked for a voluntary extension of the cooling off period to a date just before Congress ends its session.
If there is no agreement and a strike or lock-out occurs, Congress could impose its own settlement under Federal Railway Labor law. Such a settlement would be proposed as a bill.
Congress is scheduled to take its summer recess starting on July 18 and will not return until after Labor Day.
NJ Transit officials agreed to the extension if both unions agree by June 24, said head negotiator Gary Dellaverson, who replied today to the NMB.
Dellaverson told the NMB that NJ Transit needs an answer by June 24 because that is the date it would begin to put an operational plan into motion to make preparations in advance of a possible June 30 strike or lock-out.
Members of both unions had rejected a tentative contract in late April that was reached with other rail unions on March 11, averting a crippling strike.
Sporadic talks between both sides have been ongoing since May.
No comments:
Post a Comment