On Friday, New Jersey Transit train engineers started a strike, forcing around 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City to find alternative ways to travel or decide to stay at home.

The strike began after Thursday's talks failed to reach an agreement. This is the first time public transport workers in the state have stopped working in over 40 years, following the union's rejection of a proposed deal with management last month.

"We gave them our final offer, but they turned it down and ended the meeting with two hours still to go," said Tom Haas, who leads the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri characterised the current state of affairs as a "temporary halt in discussions."

He stated on Thursday, during a joint press conference with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, that he fully intends to continue these discussions at the earliest opportunity. He added that he would be willing to meet that evening, or the following morning if necessary, as he believes the issue can be resolved quickly. The only question, he said, is whether the other parties are prepared to find a resolution.

Murphy stated that it was vital to "agree on a final arrangement that is just for workers while also being affordable for New Jersey commuters and taxpayers."

The union stated the announcement was made after 15 hours of continuous negotiations regarding the contract. They anticipate picket lines will form from 4 a.m. on Friday.

NJ Transit, one of the biggest transport systems in the US, runs buses and trains in New Jersey, carrying almost a million people each weekday, including trips to New York City. The strike has stopped all NJ Transit trains, which are used by many commuters travelling between New York City's Penn Station and towns in northern New Jersey, as well as Newark Airport, which has also experienced its own separate problems lately.

Recently, the agency shared backup plans, stating they would run more buses. However, they cautioned that these buses would only slightly increase space on current New York commuter routes near train stations, and would begin on Monday. The agency will also hire private bus companies to run services from main park-and-ride areas during busy weekday times.

The agency warned that buses could carry far fewer passengers – only around 20% of the usual train users. Therefore, they advised people to work from home if possible during a strike.

Even the possibility of it happening had already led to travel problems. Due to the unclear situation, the transit authority cancelled train and bus services for the Shakira concerts on Thursday and Friday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The groups involved met on Monday with a national mediation board in Washington to talk about the problem. A mediator also attended the discussions on Thursday. Kolluri said on Thursday night that the mediation board has suggested another meeting on Sunday morning to continue discussions.

The main disagreement in talks between the agency and the train workers' union is pay, as the union aims for salaries similar to those at other local passenger train companies; currently, their members earn around $113,000 annually, and they suggest a deal could be made if the agency head, Kris Kolluri, approves an average yearly pay of $170,000.

However, NJ Transit's management questions the union's figures, stating that engineers earn an average of $135,000 per year, with top earners making over $200,000.

Kolluri and Murphy stated on Thursday that the main issue isn't simply agreeing on a pay rise, but whether they can do so without causing other unions to demand similar increases, which could create financial problems for NJ Transit.

Although Congress has the authority to step in and prevent the strike by making the union accept an agreement, lawmakers seem unwilling to do so this time, unlike in 2022 when they stopped a national freight railroad strike.

The union at NJ Transit has experienced a consistent decline in membership as many members leave for better-paid positions at other railway companies. The number of engineers working for NJ Transit has fallen from 500 to around 450 in recent months.