Bus Strike in Jersey Is Aggravated As State Fails to Open Park‐Ride Lot

NEARK, March 6 — Ef—forts to open the large parkand ride lot at Route 3 near the Lincoln Tunnel and to provide bus service from there into the Port Authority's midtown Manhattan bus terminal has been stymied by union opposition, according to a spokesman for the State Board of Public Utility Commissioners.

The park‐and‐ride service bad been operated by Transport of New Jersey, the state's largest bus company, under a lease arrangement with the Port Authority until the bus company was struck last week by the Amalgamated Transit Union, which is seeking higher wages and increased benefits for the company's 4,500 employes.

The P.U.C. spokesman said that another carried had been found that was willing to service the park‐and‐ride lot “but at the last minute the company pulled back, saying their drivers belonged to the same union as those Working for Transport and they were afraid of a strike against their company.”

As the strike goes on “it appears to be getting more and more bitter,” the spokesman said. “Many bus companies have agreed to our request that they expand their service to help reduce the public inconvenience caused by the strike, but some of them reportedly have been threatened by union members and they say they are afraid some people are going to have their heads broken if they continue.”

James La Sala, international vice president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said the union rank and file was exhibiting a “tremendous amount of emotionalism” but he blamed the P.U.C. announcement concerning expansion of other services to cover routes normally run by Transport buses.

“We just concluded two 15week strikes against bus companies in Hudson County and we cooperated with arrangements allowing other companies to service the public, but it was done quietly,” he said.

“We can't control our own people when they view these announcements by the as strikebreaking attempts,” he said. “They're all up in arms.”

He added, “We've never had violence during one of our strikes and we don't want to see it created now."

Meeting Is Canceled

Mr. La Sala William E. Ozzard, president of the P.U.C., canceled a meeting with the union leadership scheduled for 4 P.M. today to discuss the emergency transportation measures being taken by the state agency. He said “the current atmosphere” was the reason.

The expanded bus and rail service and the increased use of automobiles has enabled most of the 700,000 people who normally ride Transport of New Jersey buses to get to work, shopping and schools in spite of the strike.

The most visible signs of the strike are the chains strung across the driveways of filledup parking lots in Newark and other urban areas before 10 A.M., and the rows of illegally parked cars on side streets.

Both sides in the negotiations are scheduled to resume contract talks tomorrow.