Train engineers working for New Jersey Transit are set to begin a strike on Friday, effectively bringing the agency’s rail operations to a halt and leaving countless daily riders without service.
This will be NJ Transit’s first railway worker strike in over four decades. Despite prolonged discussions spanning years, the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have been unable to finalize a labor agreement. NJ Transit handles more than 925,000 passenger trips every weekday across its rail, bus, and light-rail networks.
“After 15-hours of non-stop contract talks today, no agreement on a wage increase was reached,” the union said in a statement late Thursday. “NJ Transit’s 450 engineers and trainees will be on strike starting Friday.”
The primary point of contention has been salary increases. The engineers’ union has been demanding a pay raise—the first since 2019—but NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri has said the proposed terms are financially unworkable. A tentative deal reached earlier this year was voted down by the union, and their revised offer was later rejected by the agency.
This labor dispute comes amid a nationwide fiscal crunch for public transportation systems. As federal relief funds from the pandemic era dry up, agencies are struggling to cover operating costs. The union has maintained that their members deserve wages comparable to what engineers earn at other top rail companies across the country. NJ Transit, however, has cautioned that meeting the union’s demands would either force fare hikes or necessitate raising taxes on New Jersey businesses.
{Matzav.com}