NJ Transit strike to end, train service to resume Tuesday
Commuters wait for the Journal Square Path Transit line train following heavy delays during rush hour at 33rd Street on May 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
NEW JERSEY - NJ Transit and the engineers' union reached a tentative agreement Sunday on a new contract, ending the three-day transit strike -- and an anticipated week of headache for 100,000 daily riders.
Service resumes Tuesday
What we know:
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen initially announced regular train service would begin again Monday, but moments later, union spokesperson Jamie Horwitz said NJ Transit informed them that it would be Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. instead. This 24-hour period gives NJ Transit time for infrastructure inspection and preparation.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said those who can should work from home on Monday.
People disembark from a NJ Transit commuter train after arriving at the transit terminal on November 2, 2022, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said park and rides and additional bus service will be available Monday. Click here for information on alternative routes.
The strike, which began Friday, marked the state's first transit walkout in over 40 years, forcing commuters to seek alternative transportation methods such as buses, cars, taxis, and boats, or to stay home.
Last NJ Transit train engineers' strike: News report from 1983
What happened last time NJ Transit train engineers went on strike? Watch FOX 5's 10 O'Clock News report on the last strike in 1983.
Why was there a strike?
The backstory:
The primary issue was achieving a wage increase for engineers without causing financial strain on the transit agency. The union's general chairman, Tom Haas, stated that the agreement boosts hourly pay beyond previous proposals and was reached without significant budget issues or fare increases.
Commuters at the New Jersey Transit train platform at Penn Station in New York, US, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The strike highlighted the need for competitive wages, as engineers have been leaving for better-paying jobs at Amtrak and Long Island Railroad. The union had sought an average salary increase from $113,000 to $170,000, while NJ Transit leadership disputed these figures, citing average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with some engineers earning over $200,000.
What's next:
The deal will be submitted for ratification by the national union and requires approval from the New Jersey Transit board at its next meeting on June 11.
The Source: This article includes reporting from the Associated Press, New Jersey officials and FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman.