NJ TRANSIT and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) have finally come to a tentative agreement to put an end to the three-day rail strike that had New Jersey commuters on edge. This strike, the first in 40 years, affected over 350,000 daily riders who rely on the state’s third-largest rail system.
The deal, reached on Sunday evening, will see BLET members returning to work on Tuesday while NJ TRANSIT takes 24 hours to inspect and prepare the infrastructure for full scheduled service. NJ TRANSIT CEO Kris Kolluri expressed satisfaction with the agreement, highlighting the concessions made to meet the union’s wage demands.
The terms of the agreement will be presented to the 450 BLET members for review before contract language dollar figures are made public. BLET had been pushing for higher wages, arguing that their engineers deserve $170,000 annually to align with the job’s demands and risks, as well as to match other rail agencies in the region.
Despite the challenges faced during negotiations, Governor Phil Murphy expressed optimism about the outcome, noting that the parties have reached a favorable resolution. The agreement will now undergo a ratification vote by the national union and the NJ TRANSIT board in the coming weeks.
Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like NJ TRANSIT and BLET have finally found some common ground after a tense few days of strikes and negotiations. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s good to see things moving in the right direction for commuters in New Jersey. Let’s hope this agreement brings some much-needed stability to the state’s rail system.
