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The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have called for a strike authorization vote. The locomotive engineers have been without a new contract since Oct. 2019 and remain stuck in mediation.
"The absence of a pay raise during a period of high inflation has persisted for four years, which is too long," BLET National President Eddie Hall said. "Our members cannot continue working for subpar wages. They have had enough."
Hall said with the exception of one other transit agency, NJ Transit engineers are the lowest paid engineers working in commutive service in the nation. The union has also criticized NJ Transit's decision to spend money on projects like new office space while not giving employees raises.
A spokesperson for NJ Transit said they have made a contract offer that has been and accepted and ratified by 14 of the 15 rail unions, covering 90 percent union employees.
"The BLET is the only union to not accept these terms," the spokesperson said.
In June, the BLET settled with NJ Transit for $50,000 after the union conducted a sickout on Juneteenth in 2022, forcing the cancellation of 300 trains. The settlement does not acknowledge nor admit any wrongdoing from the union.
NJ Transit said the union is prohibited from encouraging or engaging in any strike or job action, following the June 2022 sickout and that any strike is illegal under the Railway Labor Act while engaged in mediation.
Hall said the BLET will comply with the Railway Labor Act and will proceed once released from mediation.
"What we really want is a fair contract for engineers and to ensure uninterrupted train services for passengers," Hall said.
Ballots will be sent out this week and must be returned by the end of the month, the union said. The union said it is confident 100 percent of the ballots will be in favor of striking.
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