Train engineers working for New Jersey Transit went on strike on Friday, forcing around 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City to find alternative ways to travel or consider staying home.

La huelga se produce tras el fracaso de las negociaciones del jueves para alcanzar un acuerdo. Es la primera huelga en el transporte público estatal en más de cuatro décadas, después de que los afiliados al sindicato rechazaran masivamente la propuesta laboral de la dirección hace un mes.

"Tom Haas, presidente de la Hermandad de Ingenieros de Locomotoras y Operarios de Trenes, informó de que habían presentado su última propuesta, pero fue rechazada, y se retiraron cuando aún quedaban dos horas del plazo."

Kris Kolluri, director de NJ Transit, calificó la situación como un "parón en las negociaciones."

"I really hope we can continue these talks very soon," he stated late on Thursday at a joint press conference with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. "If they're open to meeting tonight, I'll meet with them again tonight. If they prefer to meet tomorrow morning, I'll be there. I believe this issue can be resolved quickly. The real question is, are they truly committed to finding a solution?"

Murphy señaló la importancia de alcanzar un acuerdo definitivo que beneficie equitativamente a los trabajadores, a la vez que resulte asequible para los viajeros y los contribuyentes de Nueva Jersey.

The announcement was made after 15 straight hours of contract talks, according to the union. Picket lines are expected to start at 4 a.m. on Friday.

NJ Transit, uno de los sistemas de transporte más grandes de Estados Unidos, gestiona autobuses y trenes en Nueva Jersey, ofreciendo alrededor de un millón de viajes cada día, incluso a Nueva York. La huelga ha detenido todos los trenes de cercanías de NJ Transit, que son rutas muy utilizadas entre Penn Station en Nueva York, al otro lado del río Hudson, y las localidades del norte de Nueva Jersey, así como el aeropuerto de Newark, que ya ha sufrido retrasos por otras causas.

In recent days, the agency had announced backup plans, stating that they intended to increase bus services. However, they cautioned passengers that the buses would only add a "very limited" capacity to existing commuter bus routes in New York near train stations and that they would not start running until Monday. The agency will also hire private companies to run bus services from key park-and-ride locations during peak weekday hours.

However, the agency pointed out that buses couldn't carry as many passengers as trains – only about 20% of the current rail users. Therefore, they encouraged people who could work remotely to do so in the event of a strike.

Even the *threat* of a strike had already disrupted transportation. Amidst the uncertainty, the transport agency cancelled train and bus services to Shakira's concerts on Thursday and Friday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Representatives from both sides met on Monday in Washington with a federal mediation board to discuss the issue, and a mediator was present during Thursday's discussions. Kolluri stated on Thursday evening that the mediation board has proposed a meeting on Sunday morning to continue the talks.

Salary discussions have been a major sticking point in negotiations between the agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. The union aims for its members to earn similar wages to those at other passenger rail companies in the region. Currently, the union states its members earn an average of $113,000 annually, suggesting an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri approved an average annual salary of $170,000 for them.

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

Kolluri y Murphy explicaron el jueves que el desafío principal no es acordar un aumento salarial, sino pactar condiciones que eviten que otros sindicatos soliciten aumentos parecidos, lo cual podría generar graves problemas económicos para NJ Transit.

Congress has the power to step in and stop the strike, forcing the union to accept a deal, but lawmakers haven't been willing to do so this time, unlike in 2022 when they prevented a national freight transport strike.

The union has seen a steady decline in membership at NJ Transit, with an increasing number of members leaving for better-paying jobs at other railway companies. The number of engineers at NJ Transit has fallen from 500 to around 450 in recent months.