Whenever a county improvement authority shall acquire an existing privately-owned transportation system pursuant to authorization by the board of chosen freeholders, such acquisition may be subject to the assumption by the authority of all contracts and agreements of every kind and nature of the privately-owned transportation system acquired. All of the employees of such system except executive or supervisory officers and employees, shall be transferred to the employment of such authority with all employment rights, privileges and benefits which they previously enjoyed in such transportation system, including sick leave, seniority, vacation and pension credits. Such employees and former employees who are members or beneficiaries of any pension or other benefit plan or arrangement shall be entitled to a continuation of all benefits with respect to welfare, sickness, vacations, pension or retirement benefits as they previously enjoyed prior to the acquisition by such authority. The authority shall assume the obligations of any transportation system acquired by it with regard to wages, salary, hours, working conditions, sick leave, health and welfare and pension or retirement provisions or employees. It shall assume the provisions of any collective bargaining agreement between such acquired transportation system and the representatives of its employees. No employee of any acquired transportation system who is transferred to a position with such authority, shall, by reason of such transfer, be placed in any lesser or adverse position with respect to workmen’s compensation, pension, seniority, wages, sick leave, vacation, health and welfare, insurance or any other benefits that he enjoyed as an employee of such acquired transportation system, unless the employee shall consent thereto in writing or that such conditions of employment, benefits or rights are incorporated in a collective bargaining agreement entered into between the authority and the labor organization representing a majority of its employees.

L.1968, c. 66, s. 9, eff. June 18, 1968.