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9/5/2023
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) members who work at New Jersey Transit last week voted unanimously to authorize a strike.
Five hundred locomotive engineers employed by NJ Transit received strike ballots in August. Voting results show 81% of the eligible 494 union members cast ballots and all of them favor a strike, BLET officials said in a press release.
NJ Transit recently announced plans to spend more than $440 million to lease luxury office space, which has infuriated many BLET members, they said.
“The agency has millions for penthouse views, but not a dime for train crews who kept the trains running throughout the worst days of the pandemic, and haven’t had a raise since 2019," said BLET National President Eddie Hall.
The locomotive engineers employed at NJ Transit have been seeking a new contract since October 2019. The contract dispute has been under National Mediation Board-sponsored mediation for nearly three years.
NJ Transit leaders have insisted that the engineers adhere to “pattern bargaining” with the agency's other work groups, BLET officials said. Union leaders maintain that NJ Transit should provide wages closer to engineers’ pay at other commuter railroads.
NJ Transit engineers are among the lowest paid engineers in the U.S. commuter-rail sector, according to the BLET.
Meanwhile, Forbes recently named NJ Transit to its 2023 list of America's Best-in-State Employers in New Jersey for the third-straight year. The list is based on working conditions, salaries, diversity, career development potential and company image.