New Jersey Commuter Rail Faces Possible Strike Amid Contract Dispute

New Jersey Transit could experience its first commuter rail strike in over four decades as early as this Friday, potentially affecting tens of thousands of daily riders across the region, the New York Times reports.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the union representing approximately 450 train engineers, has threatened to initiate a work stoppage just after midnight on Thursday if no agreement is reached with the transit agency over a long-running contract dispute.

At the core of the standoff is a demand for higher wages. The union is seeking pay parity with engineers at other regional commuter railroads, such as the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, which reportedly pay about $10 more per hour.

New Jersey Transit (NJT) leadership, however, has insisted that it cannot afford the level of increases the union is demanding. According to NJT CEO Kris Kolluri, the proposal rejected by engineers in March would have increased average full-time pay from $135,000 to $172,000 annually. The union disputes those figures and says it would settle for a pay rate closer to $173,000.

“This dispute isn’t about staffing or scheduling,” said Thomas Haas, general chairman of the union. “Wages are the only issue left on the table.”

Both parties met with the National Mediation Board in Washington on Monday for last-minute talks. Mr. Kolluri described the meeting as “constructive” but said no final agreement was reached.

Tensions between the union and NJT leadership have escalated in recent weeks. The union rejected a tentative deal that had been previously endorsed by negotiators. Kolluri criticized the union’s leadership, questioning their handling of the situation. In response, Mark Wallace, national president of the union, accused Kolluri of trying to “vilify” the engineers.

If the strike proceeds, it could cause significant disruption for the 70,000 daily riders who depend on New Jersey Transit’s trains to commute, primarily into New York City.

The agency has created a contingency plan, but Kolluri noted that substitute chartered buses can only carry about 20% of the usual train passengers. No chartered bus service would be available on the first day of a strike. Starting May 19, buses would run from four satellite locations to either the Port Authority Bus Terminal or PATH train stations in North Jersey.

Even with these measures, transportation analysts warn of widespread disruption.

“If the strike does happen, even with a contingency plan in place, this is going to be incredibly disruptive to the region,” said Zoe Baldwin, vice president of state programs at the Regional Plan Association.

The last New Jersey Transit rail strike occurred in 1983 and lasted approximately three weeks. A threatened strike in 2016 was ultimately averted at the last moment. While many such disputes are resolved before they lead to a walkout, observers note that the tone of current negotiations has grown increasingly strained.

With the Friday deadline looming, both sides remain under pressure to find common ground and prevent a shutdown of one of the Northeast’s busiest commuter rail systems.