Page 6 - ATD12March2016

A6

U.S. NEWSSaturday 12 March 2016

Commuters take escalators at Newark Penn Station, Friday, March 11, 2016, in Newark, N.J. More Judge says farmworkers may use
than 100,000 commuters use NJ Transit to get into New York City, and the transit agency says its loudspeakers at Palm Beach rally
contingency plan using extra buses will only be able to accommodate about 40,000 riders. NJ
Transit has estimated that a one-hour commute by train will more than double. TERRY SPENCER
Associated Press
(AP Photo/Julio Cortez) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A farmworkers coalition
can use loudspeakers and a slow-moving truck dur-
New York region braces for rail strike ing its planned weekend demonstration in the Town of
Palm Beach but its marchers must remain on the side-
DAVID PORTER an agreement over wages es will only be able to ac- walk, a federal judge ruled Friday.
BEN FINLEY and benefits, unions have commodate about 40,000 District Judge Robin Rosenberg issued her ruling one
Associated Press authorized a strike begin- “It would be an enormous day before 500 members and supporters of the Immo-
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Com- ning at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. inconvenience,” said Mar- kalee Coalition of Farmworkers plan to march and rally
muters and businesses on It remained to be seen tin Dorph, chief financial near the home of billionaire Nelson Peltz, the chairman
both sides of the Hudson whether Republican Gov. officer for New York Uni- of the Wendy’s fast-food chain. At issue is Wendy’s re-
River braced for the worst Chris Christie would be- versity in lower Manhattan, fusal to pay a penny-per-pound fee for its tomatoes to
as negotiators for rail unions come directly involved who takes the train from supplement some farmworkers’ wages.
and New Jersey Transit in the talks. Earlier in the Hamilton, New Jersey, to Rosenberg ruled that the coalition, which represents
worked to reach a con- week, Christie said he New York. about 40,000 workers, has a First Amendment right to
tract deal Friday to head would monitor negotiations Eric Delgado, a sales rep have its views heard, so it can use loudspeakers car-
off a weekend shutdown but wouldn’t take part un- for a software company, ried by the truck that will travel at 3 mph. She also said
from a strike. less his “involvement will be said he could work from the flatbed truck will carry the old, young and the dis-
After about six hours of helpful in bringing together home in Robbinsville, New abled so their constitutional right to demonstrate will
negotiations, no deal had a resolution.” Jersey, about 60 miles from not be infringed.
been announced by late More than 100,000 com- Manhattan, except he’s The town had wanted to limit the demonstration to 64
afternoon, and neither side muters use NJ Transit to get scheduled to meet new decibels as measured at the nearest private property
had offered an update on into New York, and the tran- clients for the first time next — about the noise level of two men talking. During the
the status of the talks. . If sit agency says its contin- week near his office. march, property lines could be inches away. To stay
negotiators can’t iron out gency plan using extra bus- On Friday, he weighed that within the law, demonstrators would have to march si-
prospect against commut- lently or far away from others, meaning their message
WMHSOIHLAOEMSWAILEImporters, Distributors, Retailers, Dealers, Wholesale Buyers ing on a bus to Jersey City would be lost, Rosenberg wrote.
and then taking a train into “Both options severely hinder the dissemination of the
Rwewgiwst.emr iNaOmWiwfohr oFlReEsEaulenstihl Aopwr.ilc2onmd the city. “I think it’s doable, protected speech,” she wrote.
but it’s just going to be a However, she said Palm Beach has a legitimate right
Call 305.262.3200 info@miamiwholesaleshow.com No1C6hpiledrrmenitutendder nightmare,” he said. “The to keep its streets clear, particularly so that emergency
bus is going to be packed vehicles can get in and out. The town, which is on a
full of people, and it’s go- barrier island, is served by one major bridge. Along with
ing to be uncomfortable.” 8,700 residents, on winter weekends about 20,000 tour-
NJ Transit has estimated ists are typically in town.
that a one-hour commute It will be easy to move the truck out of the way, if need-
by train — roughly the ed, Rosenberg ruled, but not 500 marchers. The coali-
length of Dorph’s ride from tion had argued that street protests have a long history
Hamilton to Penn Station nationally and that awnings and other overhanging
on an express train — will barriers would keep the marchers from carrying picket
more than double by bus signs.
or a combination of bus “Allowing them to march, but requiring them to stay on
and ferry or Port Authority the sidewalk, is narrowly tailored to the significant gov-
Trans-Hudson train. ernment interest in public safety,” Rosenberg wrote.
Worse, motorists have Steve Hitov, the coalition’s attorney, said “we won a lot
been told to expect back- and they won some.” He said the coalition was nego-
ups of 20 miles or more at tiating with the town to implement the judge’s order.
the Lincoln and Holland John Randolph, the town attorney, said the town’s big-
tunnels into New York.q gest concern was keeping the marchers on the side-
walk. “We just want to preserve order, public safety
and peace and in a great sense, we have been able
to do that,” Randolph said.
Among the 590 Florida cities, towns and unincorpo-
rated areas with at least 1,000 households that the U.S
Census Bureau tracks, Palm Beach ranks 10th in medi-
an household income at $105,700. Current and former
residents and property owners include the Kennedy
family, Donald Trump, commentators Rush Limbaugh
and Ann Coulter, and entertainers Jimmy Buffett, John
Lennon and Rod Stewart.
Immokalee, the southwest Florida farming town about
100 miles from Palm Beach where the coalition is
based, is 575th, with a median household income of
$25,725.
The coalition has used demonstrations and sometimes
consumer boycotts to pressure the five largest fast-
food companies — Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King,
Subway and Taco Bell — into joining its “fair food pro-
gram.” All but Wendy’s eventually joined. q