NORTH BERGEN AND BEYOND – Michael Johnson, an iron worker who attended Tuesday’s union rally for the Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel, hopes the project can be saved and that he can go back to work.
Johnson, a member of Iron Workers Local 43, has been unemployed for almost a year.
“As you can see, there are a lot of us out of work,” he said, looking around the hundreds of union members present.
The New Jersey Building Trades were joined by U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez (both D-N.J.), as well as U.S. Representatives Steve Rothman and Frank Pallone, Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex), and other officials.
Paul Roldan, a business agent for the New Jersey Building Trades Labor Local 325, said that members of his union had been employed when work began on the project, also known as Access to the Region’s Core (ARC).
“People waited for these projects to start…to have members working on the project, and all of a sudden to have the rug pulled out from under their feet…this is contributing to unemployment,” Roldan said.
Almost two weeks ago, Gov. Christopher Christie, after announcing that the $8.7 billion project was cancelled, agreed to work with the Federal Transit Administration for two weeks on finding a way the project could go forward. A final answer is expected this Friday. Christie fears the project could cost as much as $14 billion.
“I read something in shock this morning, because Gov. Christie is quoted [in a published report] as [stating] ‘I don’t want to hear about the jobs,’” said Lautenberg. “Some have accused me of having tunnel vision and to them I say, ‘You’re damn right I have tunnel vision. I have tunnel vision because I want workers to have 6,000 jobs, ready with shovels, pitchforks and whatever else they need and I commend you for your willingness and anxiousness to get this gong.’”
For more information on this issue, read this week’s North Bergen Reporter. – Tricia Tirella
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