After eleventh hour negotiations failed, approximately 350,000 daily commuters were left to fend for themselves.
Here now are the key players involved in the rail strike …
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
NEWARK – After 15-hours of non-stop contract talks today, no agreement on a wage increase was reached this evening between the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and NJ Transit managers. NJ Transit managers walked out of the talks shortly before 10 p.m. and through their actions have forced a strike despite the transit agency having the funds for a raise. Trains that usually run 365 days a year will come to a stop.
In accordance with the terms of the Railway Labor Act and the previously announced strike deadline of 12:01 a.m., Friday, May 16, NJ Transit’s 450 engineers and trainees will be on strike starting Friday. Picket lines will begin at locations across the system at 4 a.m. Friday.
Among the locations being picketed are:
- NJ Transit’s Headquarters in Newark (2 Gateway Center),
- Penn Station in New York City (8th Avenue and 33rd Street entrance),
- The Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City
BLET members at NJ Transit have been seeking a new agreement since 2019. They have gone without a raise for five long years. In August 2023, the members of the local union voted unanimously to grant the BLET National President the authority to call a strike when it became lawful to do so and if a deal had not been reached.
“Our members at NJ Transit had the full support of our national union, as well as the Teamsters,” said BLET National President Mark Wallace. “NJ Transit has a half-billion dollars for a swanky new headquarters and $53 million for decorating the interior of that unnecessary building. They gave away $20 million in revenue during a fare holiday last year. They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers. Enough is enough. We will stay out until our members receive the fair pay that they deserve.”
NJT’s engineers make at least $10 less per hour than engineers who work for passenger railroads that share the same train platforms as NJ Transit.
Governor Murphy and NJ Transit President & CEO Kris Kolluri Provide Update On Impending NJ Transit Locomotive Engineers Strike
NEWARK – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy joined NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri to provide an update on the impending strike by NJ TRANSIT locomotive engineers, who have opted to strike rather than agree to terms of a new contract. As a result, the rail system throughout New Jersey will begin a safe shutdown beginning at 12:01 a.m. Friday, May 16.
The strike comes after a tentative agreement was reached on March 10, 2025 that the leadership of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET) previously called “fair and responsible.” BLET is the only union of NJ TRANSIT’s 15 rail unions that has not signed the initial pattern bargaining agreement.
“Over the past several weeks and months, we have been working around the clock to avoid this strike and keep NJ TRANSIT operating at full capacity. As always, our single-highest priority has always been to provide the best possible service to our state’s commuters and taxpayers,” said Governor Phil Murphy.
“This strike will upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans. My message tonight to our locomotive engineers is this: the path to a new contract will be paved at the negotiating table, not the picket line. Ultimately, it is the people of New Jersey who will suffer because of this strike. I am calling on our locomotive engineers to remain at the negotiating table to reach a fair and affordable deal so we can get the trains moving again as soon as possible and avoid raising costs on riders and taxpayers.”
“I have always said that any deal we reach would have to be fair to our engineers and fiscally responsible without burdening our riders or the taxpayers of New Jersey,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri. “While we, unfortunately, were unable to finalize a deal Thursday night, I am committed, as I have been since my first day on the job in January, to remaining at the bargaining table for as long as it takes to get an agreement finalized. We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of NJ TRANSIT customers to work around-the-clock until a deal is reached and rail service can resume for all those who rely on it every day.”
Contingency Plan
On April 30, NJ TRANSIT announced its contingency plan should the union opt to strike. In developing its contingency plan, NJ TRANSIT focused available resources where demand is greatest—the more than 70,000 daily New York-bound customers, including customers who transfer from NJ TRANSIT rail to PATH trains at Hoboken Terminal and Newark Penn Station. NJ TRANSIT estimates that the contingency plan can accommodate approximately 20% of current rail customers, as the capacity of the bus system cannot replace the railroad. This contingency plan includes enhancing select existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and contracting with private carriers to operate bus service from four regional Park & Ride locations across the state during weekday peak periods.
NJ TRANSIT strongly encourages employers to allow their employees to work from home if possible, limiting travel on the NJ TRANSIT system to essential purposes only.
