Last week, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s rank and file voted to reject the tentative contract that its leaders had reached with NJ Transit in March, setting in motion the potential for a strike at 12:01 a.m. on May 16.
Now, a New Jersey business group is urging all sides in the contract dispute to redouble their efforts to find a reasonable solution.
“A rail strike would be bad for the economy and for job creators, so we urge NJ TRANSIT and the union to continue their efforts to reach an agreement that is reasonable and sustainable for New Jersey’s taxpayers, commuters and employers,” New Jersey Business & Industry Association President & CEO Michele Siekerka said in a statement. “New Jersey’s largest employers, through the Corporate Transit Fee created last year, have been taxed $1 billion to keep transit moving in this state and will be paying an estimated $815 million in subsequent fiscal years through Dec. 31, 2028.
“NJ TRANSIT has said the latest salary demands would necessitate a 27% increase in the Corporate Transit Fee, which is clearly something that New Jersey’s highly taxed job creators cannot afford,” Siekerka added. “Under the tentative agreement that was rejected by the rank and file, locomotive engineers would have been earning wages that are competitive within the region.”
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