A strike by New Jersey Transit's train engineers on Friday disrupted the commutes of an estimated 350,000 people in New Jersey and New York City, forcing them to seek alternative transportation or consider working from home.

The strike began after the latest negotiations on Thursday failed to produce an agreement. This is the state's first transport strike in over 40 years, occurring just a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a proposed labour deal with management.

"We presented our final offer, but they rejected it and left with two hours remaining," stated Tom Haas, co-chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

Kris Kolluri, CEO of NJ Transit, characterized the situation as a "temporary pause in discussions."

"He stated at the end of a press conference with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Thursday that he was looking forward to resuming these discussions soon. He added that if they were willing to meet that evening, he would meet them. If they preferred to meet the following morning, he would be available. He believed this was a problem that could be resolved promptly; the key question was whether they were committed to finding a resolution."

Murphy emphasized the importance of reaching a final agreement that is both fair to workers and affordable for commuters and taxpayers in New Jersey.

The announcement followed 15 hours of continuous contract negotiations, according to the union. Disruptions are expected to begin as early as 4 a.m. on Friday.

NJ Transit, one of the largest public transportation systems in the US, runs buses and trains throughout New Jersey, providing almost a million rides on a typical weekday, including trips to New York City. The strike halted all NJ Transit passenger trains, which are a heavily used public transport option between New York City's Penn Station and northern New Jersey communities, as well as Newark Airport, which has experienced unrelated delays recently.

In recent days, this agency has announced contingency plans, stating that it will increase bus services. However, it warned passengers that the buses would only add "very limited capacity" to existing New York-bound bus routes near train stations and would not operate until Monday. The agency will also contract with private transportation companies to operate bus services from key regional parking areas during weekday peak hours.

However, authorities pointed out that these buses would only be able to carry about 20% of the train's current passenger volume. Therefore, they urged those who could work remotely to do so in the event of a strike.

Even the *threat* of a strike *disrupted* transport. Amid the *uncertainty*, transport *authorities cancelled* trains and buses to Shakira's concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Thursday and Friday.

Negotiations took place on Monday in Washington with a federal mediator to address the issue, and the mediator was present during further discussions on Thursday. Kolluri stated on Thursday evening that the mediator had suggested a meeting on Sunday morning to restart negotiations.

Salary has become a key sticking point in negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the union seeking pay parity for its members with other passenger rail companies in the region. The union, whose members currently earn an average of $113,000 annually, suggests an agreement is attainable if agency CEO Kris Kolluri approves a new average annual salary of $170,000.

Despite the union's data, NJ Transit management disputes these figures, stating that engineers earn an average total income of $135,000 annually, with top earners exceeding $200,000.

On Thursday evening, Kolluri and Murphy stated that the central issue wasn't whether both sides agreed on wage increases. Rather, it was whether they could agree on terms that wouldn't trigger similar demands from other unions, thereby creating an unsustainable financial situation for NJ Transit.

While the government has the power to intervene and stop strikes, even forcing unions to accept deals, politicians haven't been willing to do so this time. This is unlike 2022, when they stepped in to prevent a nationwide railway strike.

The union has observed a steady decline in its membership at NJ Transit, as many members have left to pursue better-paid engineering positions with other railway companies; this has resulted in the engineering workforce at NJ Transit decreasing from 500 several months ago to approximately 450 currently.