Around 500 train drivers of the New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) are likely to initiate the first strike in 42 years starting on May 16th, potentially causing a complete disruption of railway services, affecting approximately 350,000 commuters daily, including over 70,000 people commuting between New Jersey and Manhattan.
This labor dispute has been escalating since last year, with the union representing employees, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), failing to reach an agreement with NJ Transit on salary negotiations. After the talks ended on May 5th without further negotiations, no further discussions have been scheduled between the two parties before the deadline.
The union is demanding an increase in the average annual salary of train drivers from $135,000 to at least $190,000, citing a significant number of engineers switching to higher-paying positions at Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), PATH, and Amtrak. Union Chairman Thomas Haas pointed out that training a new employee is time-consuming and costly, costing a total of $250,000, hence retaining current employees is a more efficient approach.
On the other hand, NJ Transit has proposed raising the average salary to $172,000, but most union members disagree. NJ Transit’s Executive Director Kris Kolluri criticized the union’s demands as unrealistic, stating that the agency is already facing significant financial pressures.
NJ Transit estimates that fully meeting the union’s demands could require a substantial reduction in train services across the system, a further 17% fare increase (already increased by 15% last year), or a 27% increase in corporate taxes.
If no agreement is reached, the strike will take effect from 12:01 am on Friday, May 16th. All transportation services under NJ Transit will be suspended, including the Jervis Port and Pascack Valley lines of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
NJ Transit is advising commuters to work remotely during this period and has mentioned plans to enhance bus support services, collaborate with private bus companies, and provide shuttle services to transport passengers to New York City during peak hours from Monday to Friday.
MTA has also announced that, starting from May 12th, the Hudson and Harlem lines of the Metro-North Railroad will accept tickets from Rockland and Orange counties, assisting commuters in finding alternate routes into New York City. For more information, please refer to the MTA announcement at: https://www.mta.info/press-release/mta-announces-preparations-strike-affecting-nj-transit
Although there is currently no plan for further negotiations between labor and management, there have been precedents of last-minute agreements in the past. The last strike by NJ Transit workers due to contract issues was in 1983, lasting for 34 days.