NJ Transit: Business as usual as strike prep continues

With the threat of a strike by NJ Transit's employee unions getting closer by the day the railroad said it's business as usual for commuters.

"We remain focused on reaching an affordable settlement with the rail unions for our customers. In the event the unions call a strike, we will have a plan in place to accommodate customers who have purchased tickets and passes. Customers should purchase their tickets or passes as they normally would purchase them," spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said.

A cooling off period between NJ Transit and the coalition of employee unions, the New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition, ends on March 12 and the coalition has called for a strike on March 13. Snyder would not elaborate about NJ Transit's contingency plans in the event of a walkout or when a plan would be made public.

Negotiations are scheduled to continue on Friday; they last met about a week ago.

A federal labor board created to mediate the dispute has recommended that NJ Transit raise workers' pay by about 2.6 percent per year over the next 6 1/2 years. This month, New Jersey's congressional delegation sent a letter to NJ Transit urging the agency to seriously consider the board's recommendations.

Last week, NJ Transit interim executive director Dennis Martin called the wage and health proposals "exorbitant" and "excessive."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.