New Jersey Transit and the union representing its locomotive engineers have reached a tentative labor agreement, avoiding a potential strike that could have disrupted service for thousands of New Jersey commuters.
NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen General Chairman Thomas Haas announced the deal Monday. The union’s membership is expected to vote on ratification next month.
Few details were released, but officials said the agreement includes a wage increase and resolves a long-standing grievance. Messages seeking further details were not immediately returned.
“We believe this agreement not only reflects NJ Transit’s commitment to fairness, efficiency, innovation, and long-term financial sustainability, but it ensures uninterrupted rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on it,” Kolluri and Haas said in a joint statement.
Negotiations had stalled since the engineers’ contract expired in 2019. The union had pushed for pay in line with engineers at other transit agencies, citing specialized training and work conditions, while NJ Transit sought to maintain wage increases consistent with other bargaining units.
Kolluri, who took over as NJ Transit’s top executive in January, was credited by union officials for bringing a “new perspective” that helped end the impasse. The deal, reached March 6, comes ahead of a March 22 deadline that could have led to a strike under the federal Railway Labor Act’s provisions.
If ratified by the union, the agreement will require approval from NJ Transit’s board, followed by a 10-day review period for Gov. Phil Murphy. A rejection by either could still trigger a strike, subject to a 30-day cooling-off period.
NJ Transit, which provides about 925,000 weekday trips, has not faced a rail strike in more than 40 years.
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