Train engineers at New Jersey Transit have significantly approved the provisional agreement. 3 Day Strike Last month, service for around 100,000 riders has been halted daily on routes to Newark Airport and across the Hudson River to New York City.
The locomotive agency and the Brotherhood announced the approval results on Tuesday, revealing that 398 members supported the seven-year contract covering the years 2020-2027, while 21 members voted against it.
The NJ Transit board is scheduled to vote on the contract during their meeting on Wednesday.
While the specific terms of the contract have not been disclosed, the union indicated it is tackling additional issues concerning approximately 450 engineers, including “significant salary increases.” The primary focus during negotiations was to find a way to increase engineer wages without causing severe financial repercussions for the transit system.
The strike, which commenced on May 16th, marked the first state transport strike in over 40 years. Individuals who typically rely on New Jersey transit have considered alternative options such as buses, cars, taxis, boats, or opting to stay home. This situation arose a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected managers’ labor agreements.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri stated that the agreement represents a “fair and financially responsible arrangement for New Jersey transit agencies, customers, and taxpayers.”
Union leaders shared similar sentiments.
“We were criticized during the 1990s,” remarked Tom Haas, an NJT engineer and general president of Brett, the commuter railway. “This contract aligns closely with what colleagues are receiving for the same type of work with equivalent experience and training. It ensures the necessary pay increase without placing a significant burden on the NJT budget and avoids requiring passenger fare increases.”
NJ Transit – recognized as the nation’s third-largest transportation system – operates buses and trains within the state, facilitating nearly 1 million weekday trips, including to New York City. The strike has disrupted all commuter train services to New York, affecting widely used public transport between New Jersey communities and New York City’s Penn Station, while Newark Airport has been experiencing its own unrelated delays recently.
Source: apnews.com