By Anne Levin
As of Tuesday morning, May 20, the three-day strike by NJ Transit engineers had been settled, restoring service to commuters and travelers from Princeton Junction and elsewhere into New York City’s Penn Station.
But the agreement reached Sunday between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and NJ Transit is labeled “tentative.” Terms will be sent to the union’s 450 members for their consideration, according to BLET. Contract language and dollar figures are to be announced to the public after the members have a chance to review.
The agreement also requires a vote by the NJ Transit Board at their next regularly scheduled meeting, which is June 11.
“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 manager walked away from the table Thursday evening,” said Tom Haas, BLET’s general chairman at NJ Transit, in a statement on BLET’s website. “We were also able to show management ways to boost engineers’ wages that will help NJT with retention and recruitment, without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.”
Since train service has been restored, the supplemental bus service that was operating from Hamilton train station and other locations has been discontinued.
The Northeast Corridor line that serves Princeton Junction runs between Trenton and New York City. NJ Transit is the nation’s third largest commuter railroad. The strike was the first in more than four decades.
Seeking higher wages, the membership of BLET had recently voted down a tentative agreement reached between NJ Transit and the union’s leadership. The two sides met with federal mediators from the National Mediation Board on Saturday and Sunday, May 16 and 17, before reaching a deal on Sunday night.
“I am pleased to announce that we have reached a fair and fiscally responsible contract settlement that provides a generous wage increase for BLET members while saving taxpayers and customers the burden of fare increases,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement following the decision. “This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ Transit to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations, and I commend them both. Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis.”
Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit president and CEO, thanked customers for their patience and said it was important that the deal did not involve raising fares.
“I appreciate the BLET leadership’s collaboration at the bargaining table and continuing to negotiate in good faith to get to an agreement,” he said. “I also want to recognize the thousands of NJ Transit employees who stepped up during this time to support our customers and minimize the impacts to the greatest extent possible.”