New Jersey Transit engineers strike, probably affecting 350,000 commuters

Members of the railroad engineers union for New Jersey Transit went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday, crippling a system that round 350,000 folks depend on, officers mentioned.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen mentioned that its round 450 members in New Jersey Transit had been strolling off the job proper after midnight in a dispute over pay, bringing the nation’s third-largest transit system to a standstill.

Round an hour earlier than that deadline, Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Transit President Kris Kolluri informed reporters that they needed a good deal for the union.

However in addition they mentioned that they may not comply with a preferential deal that may trigger the opposite unions within the transit system to demand the identical, which Murphy mentioned would price tons of of tens of millions of {dollars}.

Including to move woes, delays had been averaging 32 minutes at Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport on Friday morning due to extreme climate, the Federal Aviation Administration mentioned.

New Jersey Transit “is dealing with a sobering fiscal actuality,” Murphy mentioned.The union cited low pay as a prime situation.

It mentioned that its members at New Jersey Transit are the lowest-paid locomotive engineers of any main passenger railroads within the nation.

“They’ve gone with out a elevate for six years and have been looking for a brand new contract since October 2019,” the union mentioned.

New Jersey Transit mentioned that the strike might have an effect on 350,000 folks per day, and MetLife Stadium this week warned that there could be no New Jersey Transit bus or rail service for Shakira live shows Thursday and Friday.

The union mentioned that picket strains had been set to start at 4 a.m. Friday, together with at Penn Station in Manhattan in New York Metropolis.

The union mentioned that the transit company has tens of millions to spend on a brand new headquarters in Newark and gave up tens of millions in a fare vacation final 12 months.

“They’ve cash for penthouse views and pet initiatives, simply not for his or her front-line staff,” BLET Nationwide President Mark Wallace mentioned in an announcement. “Sufficient is sufficient. We’ll keep out till our members obtain the truthful pay that they deserve.”

Murphy and Kolluri mentioned they’re open to proceed negotiations at any time. They urged folks in a position to work at home Friday to take action, and mentioned there could be further bus service and extra park-and-ride areas.

Amtrak and PATH trains, and buses are nonetheless operating.

The final time there was a strike at New Jersey Transit was in 1983, greater than 40 years in the past.

Hoboken Mayor Ravinder S. Bhalla mentioned in an announcement on X early Friday that it was “a deeply irritating second for Hoboken and the area.”

“NJ Transit and BLET had months to achieve an settlement and stop this disruption, which now impacts tons of of 1000’s of commuters and residents,” he mentioned, whereas urging folks to permit further time for what are certain to be congested journeys.