Union official says NJ Transit strike will end after deal reached; service to resume Tuesday
NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- New Jersey Transit's train engineers reached a tentative deal Sunday to end their three-day strike that had halted service for some 100,000 daily riders, including routes to Newark airport and across the Hudson River to New York City.
The union said its members would return to work on Tuesday, when trains would resume their regular schedules.
The walkout that began Friday was the state's first transit strike in over 40 years, forcing people who normally rely on New Jersey Transit to take buses, cars, taxis and boats instead or consider staying home. The main sticking point had been how to accomplish a wage increase for the engineers without creating a financially disastrous domino effect for the transit agency.
Service is set to resume at 12:01 am. Tuesday, due to the inspections needed to check tracks and rail cars before resuming to full scheduled service. Union members will return to work on Monday.
Eyewitness News will begin at 4 a.m. on Monday with details on how to navigate the commute.
READ MORE | NJ Transit contingency plans for Monday
A union statement sent by email said the terms of the agreement would be sent to the union's 450 members who work as locomotive engineers or trainees at the passenger railroad.
Union members will return to work on Monday. Service will resume on Tuesday due to the inspections needed to inspect tracks and rail cars before resuming to full scheduled service.
"I am pleased to announce that we have reached a fair and fiscally responsible contract settlement that provides a generous wage increase for BLET members while saving taxpayers and customers the burden of fare increases," said Governor Murphy. "This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ TRANSIT to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations, and I commend them both. Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis."
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri says the union will now go back to its members for a ratification vote.
Alternate service options for Monday commute
Supplemental bus service from four regional Park & Rides will be in place and operating on Monday, May 19 only.
Those who can work from home are strongly encouraged to on Monday.
Park & Ride service will operate on a first come, first served basis only on Monday, May 19, from four key regional Park & Ride lots, during AM peak period inbound and PM peak period outbound. Times of operation are listed in the chart below. NJ TRANSIT will deploy customer service ambassadors at the Park & Rides to assist customers.
NJ Transit - the nation's third-largest transit system - operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. The walkout halted all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between New York City's Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other, as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently.
Mark Wallace, the union's national president, had said NJ Transit needs to pay engineers a wage that's comparable to Amtrak and Long Island Railroad because some are leaving for jobs on those other railroads for better pay.
The union had said its members have been earning an average salary of $113,000 a year and it wanted to see an agreement for an average salary of $170,000.
NJ Transit leadership, though, disputed the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.
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Some information from ABC News and the Associated Press
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