**New Jersey Transit Train Engineers Approve Tentative Deal Ending Strike**
**Meta Description:** New Jersey Transit train engineers have ratified a tentative agreement, concluding a three-day strike that disrupted service for thousands of commuters.
**URL Slug:** nj-transit-engineers-strike-deal
**New Jersey Transit Train Engineers Approve Tentative Deal Ending Strike**
New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) train engineers have overwhelmingly ratified a tentative agreement that brings an end to their three-day strike last month, which had disrupted service for approximately 100,000 daily riders, including routes to Newark Airport and across the Hudson River to New York City. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and NJ Transit announced the results of the vote on Tuesday.
The seven-year agreement, which spans from 2020 to 2027, received support from 398 members, while 21 voted against it. NJ Transit’s board of directors is set to vote on the agreement during their meeting on Wednesday. Although specific details of the contract have not been disclosed, the union has indicated that it includes a significant pay raise and addresses various concerns for the roughly 450 engineers employed by the agency.
The primary challenge during negotiations was finding a way to implement wage increases for the engineers without causing financial strain on the transit agency. The strike, which began on May 16, marked New Jersey’s first transit strike in over four decades, forcing commuters to seek alternative transportation methods such as buses, cars, taxis, and boats, or to stay home altogether. This strike followed a previous rejection of a labor agreement by union members.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri stated that the deal represents “a fair and fiscally responsible agreement for our locomotive engineers, NJ Transit, our customers, and the taxpayers of New Jersey.” Union leaders echoed this sentiment, emphasizing their desire for equitable pay rather than the highest salaries. Tom Haas, an NJ Transit engineer and BLET’s general chairman, remarked, “This agreement brings us close to what our peers make for doing the same type of work with the same levels of experience and training. It provides the necessary pay raises without significantly impacting NJ Transit’s budget, thus avoiding fare increases for passengers.”
As the nation’s third-largest transit system, NJ Transit operates buses and rail services throughout the state, facilitating nearly 1 million weekday trips, including routes into New York City. The strike had halted all NJ Transit commuter trains, which are vital for public transit between New York City’s Penn Station and northern New Jersey communities, as well as access to Newark Airport, which has faced its own unrelated delays recently.
In conclusion, the ratification of this tentative agreement marks a significant step forward for NJ Transit engineers, ensuring fair compensation while maintaining the financial stability of the transit agency.
**FAQ**
**What was the impact of the NJ Transit strike?**
The NJ Transit strike disrupted service for about 100,000 daily riders, affecting routes to Newark Airport and New York City, and forced commuters to seek alternative transportation options.
