New Jersey Transit train engineers initiated a strike that paralyzed morning travel for approximately 350,000 commuters who used the service between New Jersey and New York City.
The workers established picket lines at the beginning of the day in front of NJ Transit’s Newark headquarters and at the Hoboken Terminal. The workers displayed “Locomotive Engineers on Strike” signs while expressing their discontent about the agency’s executive-focused approach to frontline crew management.
The strike occurred during a Friday when most commuters worked from home which reduced the immediate impact but still required some passengers to find different ways to travel. Many passengers used Port Authority terminal buses as their alternative while others experienced prolonged delays.
David Milosevich who works as a casting director left Montclair early for his Brooklyn production shoot. He expressed his uncertainty about Monday’s situation among other commuters.
The labor dispute resulted in a strike which became the first transit stoppage in New Jersey history since 1983. The union members had already turned down a proposed labor agreement which led to additional discussions that ended without success.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen’s Tom Haas stated that the union presented its last proposal which the opposing side dismissed only two hours before the deadline.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri described the situation as a temporary interruption in discussions while he and Governor Phil Murphy announced their commitment to restart talks soon. A joint press conference was scheduled for Friday morning.
The strike duration remains unknown while it demonstrates intense labor conflicts at NJ Transit as both parties prepare for upcoming talks.
