NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Transit train engineers could go on strike as soon as midnight tonight, potentially impacting hundreds of thousands of commuters.
What we know:
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) engineers have been negotiating since 2019 on and off, and so far, no new contract has been reached. A mediation session earlier this week in Washington, D.C. yielded no deal. Negotiations were scheduled to resume later on this morning.
The union claims its members earn an average salary of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if agency CEO Kris Kolluri agrees to an average yearly salary of $170,000.
NJ Transit leadership, though, disputes the union's data, saying the engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually, with the highest earners exceeding $200,000.
If there is a strike each weekday starting Monday, there will be four park and rides set up - two of them, the one at Secaucus Junction and PNC Bank Arts Center - will take commuters directly to the Port Authority Bus Terminal.
The other in Hamilton will bring riders to Newark, where they can get on PATH trains. The fourth location at Woodbridge Center Mall will take commuters to the Harrison PATH station.
What they're saying:
"I am supremely optimistic as a person," Kolluri said. "The conversations have been constructive, and I really appreciate this ongoing effort. While we're hoping for the best, we're also planning for the worst. This is a strike that none of us want."
"We, the locomotive engineers of New Jersey Transit, are asking only for a fair and competitive wage, a wage that is closer to what locomotive engineers at every other railroad in our area already earn," said Tom Haas, general chairman of the BLET.
"Due to a potential rail stoppage, NJ TRANSIT strongly advises all train customers to complete their travels and arrive at their final destination no later than 11:59 PM tonight," the agency said in a post on X.
What you can do:
Meanwhile, NJ Transit posted a contingency plan on their website. One aspect of this plan includes adding limited capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes.
However, even with the plan, the agency estimates it can only carry 20 percent of current rail customers. The routes that will be affected include:
NJ Transit will also be accepting valid rail tickets on buses.
Private bus company Boxcar will be launching emergency bus services for travelers affected by the potential strike.
Boxcar riders will be guaranteed seats, and the service has enhanced its schedule to accommodate the new commuters. The service has run routes out of Bergen, Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union counties, but just added a limited Metuchen line due to online demand.
Starting this week, Metro-North will cross-honor Port Jervis and Pascack Valley tickets on the Hudson and Harlem lines.
The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are NJ Transit rail lines that operate west of the Hudson River - both lines are operated under contract with Metro-North Railroad.
Local perspective:
Due to the potential strike, NJ Transit will not be operating train or bus service to MetLife Stadium for two upcoming Shakira concerts.
Big picture view:
The potential walkout comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. Both sides had earlier said the tentative agreement included a "reasonable wage increase" for union members as well as the resolution of a long-standing grievance.
If the walkout does happen, it would be the state's first transit strike in more than 40 years.