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Rail engineers working for New Jersey Transit went on strike early Friday, suspending service for one of the busiest train systems in the country and impacting approximately a hundred thousand riders each day, marking the first major strike to affect the train system in four decades.

BLET, which represents 450 rail engineers and trainees, is in a wage dispute with NJ Transit, with the union arguing its members have not had pay increases since 2019 and are paid at least $10 per hour less than their counterparts on other rail lines in the region. NJ Transit counters that it offered workers a “competitive” package, which the union rejected, in which workers would have made an average of $172,856, with the highest paid workers making $286,000. (BLET’s proposal would see workers making up to $314,174, per NJ Transit.) NJ Transit argues that would have been competitive in the region and higher than engineers for SEPTA trains in Philadelphia, and claims that if it gives BLET workers a raise, NJ Transit employees in other unions will also demand raises. The train company contends that would require it to either raise fares by 17%, raise corporate taxes in the state or make “drastic reductions to service systemwide.” BLET disagrees that giving its workers a raise will require NJ Transit to raise wages for other unions as well, and opposes the company’s position that it doesn’t have the money to grant a wage increase.

The NJ Transit strike primarily affects the rail system’s multiple commuter rail lines, which make stops throughout various areas of New Jersey—including busy areas like Trenton, Newark, Princeton and New Brunswick—and terminate in Hoboken and New York City. The train system also provides service to Newark Liberty International Airport, which will not run during the strike, and two train lines connect New Jersey with Orange and Rockland counties in New York. The New York Times reports those lines, which are also now suspended, carry approximately 1,300 commuters each weekday. The strike does not affect NJ Transit’s bus and light rail service—though they will likely be much more crowded—and does not affect other train lines in the region, such as PATH trains between New Jersey and New York City, SEPTA service in Philadelphia and Amtrak, which shares rail lines with NJ Transit between Trenton and New York.

“Like many mass transit systems across the nation, NJ Transit is facing a sobering fiscal reality. That is a challenge we must balance with paying our engineers and every NJ Transit worker what they deserve,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said at a news conference late Thursday night. The governor, whose administration operates the transit system, said he wants to reach “a final deal that is both fair to employees and at the same time is affordable to New Jersey’s commuters and taxpayers,” while NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri claimed giving workers the wage increase they’ve requested, and raising wages for other union workers by extension, would “bankrupt” the train system. BLET has denied its workers’ wage proposal would harm NJ Transit as much as it claims, with union national president Mark Wallace saying in a statement when the strike began, “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.”

No trains are running during the strike, but NJ Transit is offering regional “park and ride” bus services during the morning and evening rush hours starting Monday morning. Those buses will travel between New York City and Secaucus Junction, the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, Hamilton Rail Station and the Woodbridge Center Mall. There are also other existing bus routes that operate between New Jersey and New York City, though those will likely be more crowded during the strike. Passengers on NJ Transit’s Northeast Corridor line, which connects Trenton with New York City, can also take Amtrak from some stations, though train fares will be much more expensive than NJ Transit and trains are more limited. Passengers in New York who rely on NJ Transit lines can use their tickets on some Metro-North railroad lines that travel between suburban New York and Grand Central Station.

In addition to the thousands of commuters and New Jerseyans who use NJ Transit each day, the strike could also impact concertgoers traveling to Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” concerts, which will take place May 22-29 at MetLife Stadium. The stadium is located in New Jersey and is most easily reached on public transit by NJ Transit. The strike already resulted in service being canceled to Shakira concerts at MetLife Stadium on Thursday and Friday, which NJ.com reports resulted in “chaos” and “major traffic delays” Thursday, as fans relied on driving to the stadium and using rideshares instead of public transportation. Bus transportation is also available between the stadium and Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City.

Rail Strike Information (NJ Transit)

NJ Transit is on strike, crippling mass transit. Here’s what you need to know. (NJ.com)