New Jersey Transit train engineers reach tentative deal to end strike that halted NYC routes
Share this @internewscast.com

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Transit’s train engineers reached a tentative agreement Sunday to conclude their three-day strike that had disrupted service for approximately 100,000 daily passengers, affecting routes to Newark airport and across the Hudson River to New York City. The union announced that its members would return to work on Monday, allowing trains to follow their usual schedules.

The strike, which began on Friday, marked the state’s first transit strike in over four decades, compelling individuals who typically depend on New Jersey Transit to opt for buses, cars, taxis, and boats or to stay home. The primary issue was finding a way to implement a wage increase for the engineers without triggering a financially harmful domino effect for the transit agency.

In an email statement, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen mentioned that the terms of the agreement would be distributed to the union’s 450 members employed as locomotive engineers or trainees at the passenger railroad.

“While I won’t get into the exact details of the deal reached, I will say that the only real issue was wages and we were able to reach an agreement that boosts hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month and beyond where we were when NJ Transit’s managers walked away from the table Thursday evening,” said Tom Haas, the union’s general chairman at NJ Transit.

He added that the union was able to show management “ways to boost engineers’ wages … without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.”

  • New Jersey Transit train engineers reach tentative deal to end strike that halted NYC routes

The statement said the deal would be submitted for a ratification vote by the national union and also require a vote of the New Jersey Transit board at its next regularly scheduled meeting on June 11.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri planned a Sunday evening news conference.

A month earlier, members of the union had overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management.

NJ Transit — the nation’s third-largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. The walkout halted all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City’s Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other, as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.

  • 2025 condo reform bill sent to Gov. DeSantis for approval

Mark Wallace, the union’s national president, had said NJ Transit needs to pay engineers a wage that’s comparable to Amtrak and Long Island Railroad because some are leaving for jobs on those other railroads for better pay.

The union had said its members have been earning an average salary of $113,000 a year and it wanted to see an agreement for an average salary of $170,000.

NJ Transit leadership, though, disputed the union’s data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Judge Overturns Conviction in Jam Master Jay Murder Case, Granting New Hope for One Defendant

NEW YORK – In a dramatic legal twist, a judge on Friday…

Unveiling ‘Murder101’: Elizabethton High School’s Gripping Journey to the Sundance Film Festival

In room 206 of Elizabethton High School, a transformation occurs each year.…

United Airlines Launches Non-Stop Flights from TRI to Chicago: Starting June 2024

In an exciting development for travelers in the Tri-Cities region, United Airlines…

Trump Administration Imposes Visa Restrictions on Two Honduran Election Officials Amid Special Vote Count Dispute

TEGUCIGALPA – In a significant move, the Trump administration imposed visa restrictions…

Carter County Landfill Reopens for Household Waste Disposal Next Week

The Carter County Landfill in Elizabethton, Tennessee, is set to partially resume…

Conflict of Interest Allegations Arise in Luigi Mangione Case as Lawyers Challenge Bondi’s Death Penalty Decision

NEW YORK – Legal representatives for Luigi Mangione argue that the decision…

U.S. Strikes Back: Military Action Unfolds in Syria

In a world already rife with tension and conflict, the declaration of…

Apopka Police Launch Search for Suspect in Alleged Walmart Scam Incident

APOPKA, Fla. – Authorities in Apopka are on the lookout for a…

How Online Sleuths and Surveillance Tech Unraveled a Mysterious Crime

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Over a decade has passed since the harrowing five-day…

Supreme Court Temporarily Supports Immigration Judges in Free Speech Case, Rejects Trump Administration’s Stance

WASHINGTON – In a notable development, the Supreme Court on Friday delivered…

Unraveling the Mystery: New Developments in the Brown and MIT Shooting Investigations

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Just ahead of Thanksgiving, Claudio Neves Valente checked into…

Florida Legislators Deliberate ‘Ya Ya Alert Act’ to Enhance Real-Time Threat Notifications

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a bid to bolster public safety, Florida lawmakers…