NJ Transit locomotive engineers, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, have overwhelmingly rejected the railroad’s tentative contract offer.
The vote follows the signing of a tentative agreement between the union and management’s bargaining teams on March 6, which required ratification by both union members and approval by the transit agency’s board.
At that time, the two parties agreed that if either side failed to approve the contract or New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy failed to approve the agreement, self-help would not occur for 30 days to allow for further negotiations.
“Our members are angry,” Tom Haas, BLET’s general chairman representing NJ Transit engineers said in a statement. “I, along with other NJ Transit engineers, have kept the trains moving but we have gone without a raise since 2019, during a period of high inflation and throughout the pandemic that claimed some of our coworkers.
“We earn less than our peers at other commuter railroads that share the same platforms,” Haas added. “For years, we have faced managers who prioritized spending on pet projects including a half-billion dollars for a corporate headquarters with penthouse views, but those same managers couldn’t find an extra dime for their train crews.”
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said he was “disappointed that the tentative agreement was not ratified,” but that he respected the vote.
“My focus remains on reaching a fair and sustainable agreement that works for everyone and ensures NJ TRANSIT can continue to provide the reliable service our customers count on,” Kolluri said in a statement. “I believe a deal is still within reach, and I am committed to returning to the bargaining table immediately and meeting every day, for as long as it takes, to get it done.”
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