Pennsylvania Turnpike, Employees Reach Tentative Agreement

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

he Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said on its Web site it reached a reached a tentative contract with striking toll collectors late Tuesday night.

The toll collectors, who walked out a day before Thanksgiving, returned to work at 11 p.m. Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

The turnpike had collected, with some exceptions, a flat $2 toll for cars and $15 for commercial vehicles, AP said. When the strike began Nov. 24, one of the busiest travel days of the year, tolls were eliminated altogether.

About 2,000 turnpike employees, including 750 maintenance workers, 1,200 toll collectors and office staff, had been working under the terms of a contract that expired Sept. 30, 2003, before going on strike.

Toll booths were staffed by 260 managers and about 50 temporary employees during the strike.

12218