NJ Transit, union to meet with mediator ahead of strike deadline
A strike by NJ Transit workers could start next week unless the agency and train engineers union reach an agreement.
With the threat of a strike looming large, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and transit leaders have been called to Washington, D.C. to meet with the National Mediation Board on Monday.
NJ Transit continues negotiations with train engineers
Though both sides agreed to meet with the mediator, the union said Friday the only way to avert a strike is higher wages. If a deal cannot be reached, the strike could start as soon as midnight on Friday, May 16.
"New Jersey Transit's continuing refusal to bargain in good faith has brought us all to this position," Tom Haas, BLET general chairman, said.
Meanwhile, signs at Newark Penn Station warn commuters to prepare for a strike as the contract negotiations continue.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said the union already walked away from an offer with a significant raise.
"Do you not remember that you met me, that you shook my hand, that you made a deal?" he said.
The union said the offer was not enough for engineers whose base salary is $89,000.
"Locomotive engineers are over 15% behind what Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak and PATH engineers make," Mark Wallace, BLET national president, said.
"What is the average salary of a full-time employee of the Locomotive Engineers? [It's] $135,000 a year. Does it include overtime? Absolutely," Kolluri said.
Union leader does not expect President Trump to intervene
The engineers union said Congress and President Trump could stop a strike, but that Mr. Trump indicated a hands-off policy during his campaign when speaking to a Teamsters official.
"And he asked him the question, would they get involved? And President Trump, who was candidate Trump then, did not commit either way," Wallace said.
If there is a strike, NJ Transit says a contingency plan with additional bus service would go into effect on Monday, May 19.
"At 12:01 a.m., any train that is currently on route, we would finish that trip, but once we're done, that's it. The engineers will leave the property," Haas said.
NJ Transit engineer salaries at center of debate
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents 450 engineers, says its members have been seeking a new contract since October 2019, and the dispute has already gone through years of mediation. The union says its engineers are the lowest paid of any major railroad in the nation, and they have gone six years without a raise.
NJ Transit says it offered the union what it wanted back in March, and that union leaders had applauded the deal but members walked away.
"The wage rate that we offered was $49.82. Long Island Rail Road locomotive engineers, the gold standard that the union said they wanted to have parity with, makes $49.92," Kolluri said earlier this week.
A union official, however, said NJ Transit's numbers are misleading.
"The number he's talking about, the $49 an hour for us, would be in 2027, and for the Long Island Rail Road, who are also without an agreement, that's from I believe 2022," Haas said.
NJ Transit strike contingency plan
NJ Transit says even with a contingency plan already in place, it's telling riders to prepare for the worst. Under the plan, bus service would be enhanced, while Amtrak, PATH, light rail and ferry service would all remain available.
NJ Transit officials say the best advice they can offer riders is to purchase daily tickets on their app and not buy a monthly pass.
"We intend to take the current bus lines that exist and enhance them where appropriate, and target our focus on New York City because 40% of our riders go to New York every day," Kolluri said last week. "We will have four park-and-rides throughout the state that will have supplemental bus service to move people from Secaucus, Hamilton, Woodbridge and the PNC Center on the parkway."
Officials said the contingency plan would only help about 20% of daily riders, but essential workers are the priority.
"For those folks who can afford to work from home, should the strike become reality, we ask them to work from home," said Kolluri.
Despite that plan, commuters are worried about the impact of the possible strike.
"Just getting to work, seeing family, those are things that I definitely think about," Ryan Alexander said.
"It's going to definitely cause issues for people who work in the city," Ammara Chaudhry said.
NJ Transit says PATH, Amtrak and light rail trains would remain in service during a strike, but overcrowding would be an issue.
