Some South Jersey Transportation Authority workers get big pay raises

PHOTO: The South Jersey Transportation Authority (SJTA) was established by the Legislature in June 1991 to assume operational responsibilities for the Atlantic City Expressway, Atlantic City International Airport terminal, and parking facilities in Atlantic City. As a successor to the New Jersey Expressway Authority and Atlantic County Transportation Authority (ACTA), the SJTA serves six counties — Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem.

Two overriding factors — a lucrative labor contract and political connections — have provided the group of 78 authority employees with dramatic pay increases, with many receiving $15,000 to $37,500 in raises and promotions since 2007.

The Press analyzed pay increases over three years for 291 full-time employees who have worked at the SJTA every year since 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, the total of those workers’ annual salaries increased by $2.6 million. Nearly half of those pay increases — 48 percent — went to the group of 78 employees, which make up 27 percent of the workers. The remaining 52 percent of pay increases was split by the other 213 workers in The Press’ analysis.T

Employees receiving the high raises include staff members and officials connected with Camden County Democrats and unionized workers whose labor contracts allow them to make more than transportation employees in metropolitan areas such as New York City.

The payroll spending came at a time when the nation was in its greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression and when more than 435,000 New Jersey workers have been unemployed. Those with jobs saw annual pay increases evaporate and their retirement accounts plunge in value. Private sector workers averaged 2.5 percent raises in 2008 and 1.3 percent in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Compensation Survey.