New Jersey toll road employees decry talk of privatizing

WOODBRIDGE — Not so fast.

That was the message delivered by a contingent of New Jersey Turnpike Authority workers about privatizing toll collections and highway maintenance, recommended to Gov. Chris Christie by a privatization task force.

Several union employees and officials warned the board of commissioners about the problematic past privatizations of motor-vehicle inspections and the trouble-prone start-up of the state’s E-ZPass electronic toll collection system.

Phil Gallagher, a second-shift maintenance worker for 22 years, said that the agency would lose the knowledge that long-time employees have of the highway system if they’re replaced. He added he came to the meeting on his own time.

“In-house maintenance can respond quickly and better to anything that arises,” Gallagher said. “You know the people and what they’re capable of. A transitory person won’t know that.”

Other workers said they treat their customers better than a contractor’s workers would.

“I think that we care more. When you’re paid a decent living wage, you care about the job and put everything into it you can,” said Raymond Aufiero of Howell, a toll collector for 25 years, after he spoke to the board. “We help people who are lost, who are sick; we direct them in emergencies. We don’t just collect tolls.”

Aufiero told the board how a regular commuter sent a letter of commendation to the authority for his being polite and friendly while collecting the tolls at exit 7A on the Turnpike.

“We were surprised (about the privatization report),” he said. “I hope they (the commissioners) can save our jobs.”

Toll collectors and maintenance workers didn’t know they were being considered for privatization, said Franceline Ehret, president of Local 194 International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers AFL-CIO, which represents 1,200 toll collectors, maintenance and office workers.

“I’m disappointed we weren’t given the opportunity to come in before the task force and make points on behalf of the workers,” she said.

Ehret said her impression was that the toll roads and State Police were “off the table” when the privatization task force was announced.

A spokesman for Christie said that wasn’t the case.

“The governor left the purview of the study wide open for just about everything,” spokesman Kevin Roberts said in an e-mail. “At the press conference, he specifically said an exception to that would be selling or leasing the Turnpike or other toll roads.”

A final decision would be up to the authority’s board of commissioners, Ehret said, which had some sympathetic words for its workers Tuesday.

“You are our greatest asset. Keep the faith and know that the board is proud of you,” Vice Chairman Michael R. DuPont said.

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