Transit strike ends after just 3 days as deal reached to get New Jersey trains rolling Tuesday

The state’s first transit strike in more than 40 years is over, but trains won’t be moving again until Tuesday, NJ Transit announced Sunday evening.

NJ Transit rail engineers will return to the job after a tentative deal was reached Sunday between the state agency and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, ending a three-day strike that crippled the region’s transportation network and sent thousands of commuters scrambling for alternatives.

Officials said regular weekday train service would resume at the start of the service day on Tuesday, May 20.

“Rail cars and infrastructure must undergo safety inspections, movable bridges that were open must be closed into place and equipment must be at the proper locations to resume,” NJ Transit officials said in a statement.  “Rail operations has immediately begun those efforts and is advancing them as quickly and safely as possible.”

In the meantime, contingency plans will go into effect Monday, May 19, including chartered bus service from four designated Park & Ride locations. NJ Transit will also deploy “customer ambassadors” to stations and transit hubs to assist riders as operations begin to restart. The agency is still urging employers to allow staff to work remotely on Monday and is asking the public to avoid nonessential travel.

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Details of the temporary service options are available at njtransit.com/restart.

The strike began at 12:01 a.m. Friday, after the BLET walked off the job following a breakdown in contract talks, halting all NJ Transit train lines and leaving an estimated 350,000 daily riders stranded. The union had been working without a contract. The union has been working under an expired contract since 2019, demanding wage parity with engineers at other regional railroads.

Murphy blamed the union for the work stoppage, calling it “a slap in the face of every commuter,” while union leaders accused NJ Transit negotiators of abandoning the bargaining table Thursday night.

The two sides met again Saturday and Sunday, with federal mediators from the National Mediation Board helping hammer out a last-minute deal.

Terms of the tentative contract have not yet been released, and the agreement still requires ratification by union members, who previously rejected a similar offer in April. That earlier deal would have bumped average engineer pay from $135,000 to $172,000 a year.

Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement about the deal Sunday night.

“I am pleased to announce that we have reached a fair and fiscally responsible contract settlement that provides a generous wage increase for BLET members while saving taxpayers and customers the burden of fare increases,”  Murphy said. “This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ Transit to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations, and I commend them both. Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis.”

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NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri characterized the agreement as fair for locomotive engineers and affordable for riders and New Jersey taxpayers.

“I want to thank our customers for their understanding and apologize for any inconvenience during this time, however, it was important to me to reach a deal that didn’t require a significant fare increase,” Kolluri said. “I appreciate the BLET leadership’s collaboration at the bargaining table and continuing to negotiate in good faith to get to an agreement. I also want to recognize the thousands of NJ Transit employees who stepped up during this time to support our customers and minimize the impacts to the greatest extent possible.”

The New Jersey Business and Industry Association issued a statement Sunday night regarding the tentative agreement.

“We are pleased to learn that the parties have reached a deal that appears to balance the needs of all transit stakeholders – the workforce, the riders, and the taxpayers.” NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka said. “We await more details, but are thankful to the parties for working diligently to reach a responsible resolution. We look forward to getting the trains back up and running.”