May 23rd, 2025
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On Friday, a strike by New Jersey Transit train engineers disrupted travel for around 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City, forcing them to find alternative ways to get to work or stay at home.
The strike began after negotiations failed on Thursday, marking the first transit strike in the state in over 40 years, following the union's rejection of a labor agreement last month.
"We gave them our final offer, but they turned it down and left, even though there were still two hours to go," said Tom Haas, who leads the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
NJ Transit's CEO, Kris Kolluri, characterised the situation 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 resume these discussions quickly. He added that he is ready to meet tonight if they are willing, and again tomorrow morning if needed, because he believes this problem can be solved soon. The key question is whether they are truly committed to finding a resolution.
Murphy stated that it was essential to "achieve a final agreement 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. 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, handling about a million journeys each weekday, including trips to New York City. The strike has stopped all NJ Transit trains, which are a popular way to travel between New York City's Penn Station and towns in northern New Jersey, as well as Newark Airport, which has also had some problems recently.
Recently, the agency shared backup plans, stating they would increase bus services. However, they cautioned passengers that the additional buses would only offer "very limited" space on existing 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.
However, the agency warned that buses would carry far fewer passengers – only around 20% of the usual train riders. Therefore, they advised people who could work remotely to do so if a strike happened.
Even the possibility of it happening had already led to travel problems. Because no one knew what to expect, the transport company stopped train and bus services for Shakira's 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 issue. A mediator also attended the discussions on Thursday. Kolluri stated on Thursday night that the mediation board has proposed a meeting on Sunday morning to continue talks.
The main disagreement in talks between the agency and the train workers' union is pay, as the union aims for its members to earn similar wages to those at other local passenger rail companies. The union states its members currently earn $113,000 annually on average, and believes an agreement is possible if the agency's leader, Kris Kolluri, approves an average yearly salary of $170,000.
However, NJ Transit's management questions the union's figures, stating that their engineers earn an average of $135,000 per year, and top earners make over $200,000.
Kolluri and Murphy stated on Thursday that the main issue isn't agreeing on a pay rise, but whether they can do so in a way that doesn't lead other unions to ask for the same, which would create financial problems for NJ Transit.
Congress has the authority to step in and stop the strike, potentially forcing the union to agree to a settlement. However, unlike in 2022 when they prevented a national railway strike, lawmakers haven't indicated they're willing to use that power this time.
The union at NJ Transit has experienced a consistent decline in membership, as many employees are leaving for higher-paying positions at other railway companies. The number of engineers at NJ Transit has decreased from 500 to approximately 450 in recent months.
May 23rd, 2025
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