NJ Transit strike: Train engineers launch state's first transit strike in over 40 years

TRENTON - New Jersey Transit train engineers went on strike Friday, impacting an estimated 350,000 riders who rely on the nation's third-largest transit system.

The state's first transit strike in over 40 years happened after union members rejected an agreement reached between union leaders and NJ Transit in March.

About 450 engineers are demanding higher average salaries and have accused NJ Transit of refusing to meet the industry's salary standards.

Meanwhile, Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Transit leaders say they want to find a deal that's both fair to employees, the riders, and the state's taxpayers.

What we know:

New Jersey Transit engineers hit the picket line on Friday morning after their union launched the state's first transit strike in more than 40 years. 

The strike impacts an estimated 350,000 riders, many of whom rely on the nation's third-largest transit line to bring them to work in New York City.

The train engineers union is asking for higher average salaries and has accused NJ Transit of refusing to meet industry standards in pay.

Union members voted down an agreement in March that was agreed upon between union leaders and NJ Transit.

"We presented them the last proposal; they rejected it and walked away with two hours left on the clock," said Tom Haas, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri described the situation as a "pause in the conversations."

Governor Murphy walked a fine line Friday morning, saying, "It is frankly a mess of their own making- -and it is a slap in the face of every commuter who relies on NJ Transit, but we’re not here this morning to point fingers."

Contingency plans:

The agency had announced contingency plans in recent days, saying it planned to increase bus service, but warned riders that the buses would only add "very limited" capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and would not start running until Monday. The agency also will contract with private carriers to operate bus service from key regional park-and-ride locations during weekday peak periods.

However, the agency noted that the buses would not be able to handle close to the same number of passengers — only about 20% of current rail customers — so it urged people who could work from home to do so.

Dig deeper:

Wages have been the main sticking point of the negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen that wants to see its members earn wages comparable to other passenger railroads in the area. The union says its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union’s data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

Kolluri and Murphy said Thursday night that the problem isn’t so much whether both sides can agree to a wage increase, but whether they can do so under terms that wouldn’t then trigger other unions to demand similar increases and create a financially unfeasible situation for NJ Transit.

Congress has the power to intervene and block the strike and force the union to accept a deal, but lawmakers have not shown a willingness to do that this time like they did in 2022 to prevent a national freight railroad strike.

"The best way forward for Jersey is for both sides to stay at the table and hammer out a solution that works for workers, riders, and our state," New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday. "I’m calling on both sides to stay at the table 24/7 until a deal is done. All parties need to keep negotiating day and night — all of this is too important to walk away."

The union has seen steady attrition in its ranks at NJ Transit as more of its members leave to take better-paying jobs at other railroads. The number of NJ Transit engineers has shrunk from 500 several months ago to about 450.

What they're saying:

"I might have to catch an Uber because I need to get to the city at a certain time. That’s $200. I’ll try Amtrak but the next train is at 4 p.m. I need to be in the city before 4," Gianni Lee stated.

Lee, of Kensington, must get to his job with a New York City pro soccer team. His options from Trenton are pricey.

It’s the same story for Novelette Anderson of North Philly on her way to North Jersey with friends forced to share the cost of a ride share.

She explained, "I’ve been here since yesterday, but I didn’t know it was this serious, so when I came back, I realized it’s really a strike."

FOX 29’s Jeff Cole asked, "Disappointing?"

"It is, you know they say, more money," she replied.

In video posted on the union’s Facebook page, strikers rallied in front of New York City’s Penn Station as union leaders claim NJ Transit’s claims of pay hikes are inflated.

Mark Wallace, with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, stated, "We’re fighting for fair pay. Our engineers make about $10 less per hour than other engineers across the region and we’re the lowest paid engineers and commuter service in the nation."

As stranded commuters lined up for Amtrak tickets inside Trenton’s Transit Center, concern grows over the crippling impact of a lengthening strike.

"I see people in the corner crying. They don’t know what to do. People travel with what they have. They go on vacation and return thinking they’ll take the transit home - many just have their tickets. No money," New Brunswick resident, Maurice Davis, said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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