The union, which represents more than 450 train engineers for New Jersey Transit, has quit its job after contract talks stagnated.
The union, which represents more than 450 train engineers for New Jersey Transit, has quit its job after contract talks stagnated.
Woodland Park, N.J. — The New Jersey transit train will be back in operation after the agency signs a contract with Striking Rail Engineers on wage increases, and the engineers union has finished a three-day suspension of work that affected around 350,000 passengers.
With train services reopening on May 20, the agency has time to inspect trucks and prepare rail cars, and Governor Philmurphy announced on May 18 after New Jersey’s transportation officials and government officials confirmed that the deal had reached. The statewide rail strike, which hit New Jersey’s first transport in over 40 years, began just after midnight on May 16th.
“I won’t go into the exact details of the transactions I reached, but I say the only real issue is wages and I have been able to reach an agreement last month that encourages hourly payments beyond the proposal rejected by members when the manager of NJ Transit left the table on Thursday evening,” the network today.
“We were able to demonstrate how NJT can manage to raise wages for engineers that support retention and recruitment without causing serious budget issues or demanding increased fares,” Haas added.
The Locomotive Engineers and Train Brotherhood represents 450 New Jersey Transit Engineers who drive commuter trains at their agency. New Jersey Transit, the third largest transit system in the United States, offers on average over 700,000 passenger travel per day across trains, light rails and bus lines.
After last week’s last minute talks broke unanimously, both sides were blaming each other for the strike. Murphy and New Jersey transport officials said the agency could not afford to meet the union’s wage requirements, but the union simply aims to pay members that match the salaries of engineers in other commuting systems in the area.
After a whirlwind that diverted tens of thousands of people from the rail system in Transit, New Jersey for three days, the agency signed a temporary contract with locomotive engineers to end the historic strike that sent shockwaves throughout the week throughout the state.
The next step is for the union to vote for the contract. If they defeat it, there will be 30 days to negotiate for a new contract before the union can ask for “self-help” again or strike. If they approve the contract, the New Jersey Transit board of directors must also vote for it.
This is the second contract reached between the two parties in three months. The first agreement to avoid a strike in March was voted by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and 87% of train memberships.
When asked why he was confident the deal would win the union, Chris Koruli said they went point by point through the contract.
“We learned some important lessons about what membership wanted. I think this union did a really good job of clarifying their position if you did,” Koruli said.
The fight over an expired contract lasted more than five years before it led to a suspension of work. Agency officials provided annual wage increases to locomotive engineers, which matched those that provided 14 other collective bargaining units, but Brett said it deserves a higher wage rise because it is competitive with the railroads near New York.
For 172,000 weekday daily rail riders, providing additional bus services and increasing travel in other modes of transport costs at least $4 million a day. NJ Transit encouraged commuters to consider working from home on May 19th, if possible.
“We are extremely grateful that both sides acted urgently and reached an agreement this weekend,” said Rep. Nelly Pooh, a Patterson Democrat who represents the 9th Congressional District.
“We hope that transportation services will mostly return to normal by Tuesday,” she said. “Let’s run the system and let people get back on the train as soon as possible.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the deal “fair and financially responsible” and said it would “save taxpayers and clients from rising fares while providing generous wage increases to Brett members.”
“The contract reflects both Brett and New Jersey’s transit commitment to staying at the table engaged in productive conversations, and I admire them,” he said. “Most importantly, we ensure that the rail service of 100,000 people rely on our railway system every day will resume.”
State Senate President Nick Skutary called the settlement a “big victory for New Jersey.”
“The strike definitely made it clear how important public transport is to the everyday functions of the state. It’s the backbone of our workforce, our economy and our quality of life,” he said. “Now we have to adopt the same energy and guide our transportation system to strengthen in the long term. We need a system that is resilient and ready to meet the needs of our riders and workers. The job starts now. We owe it to the people of New Jersey to keep this right and right.”
His colleague in the House of Representatives, Congress President Craig Cofflin, was “reliable.”
“The past few days have been frustrating and uncertain for many, and a return to service provides the sense of security people are waiting for,” he said.
Contribution: Reuters
