NJ Transit Strike Stalls as Talks Resume With Mediator Sunday

UPDATE: New Jersey Transit and the engineers' union have struck a deal to resolve the labor dispute.

NJ Transit trains remain out of service on Sunday as the engineer strike It entered its third day as discussions went on with the help of a mediator at NJ Transit headquarters in Newark.

Last week, both sides met with federal mediators in Washington, D.C., aiming to prevent the strike.

The engineers union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Conductors They had a meeting lasting around three and a half hours with NJ Transit’s president on Saturday. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) represents approximately 400 out of the company's 12,000 employees. According to them, their members have not received a wage increase in five years and earn $10 per hour less compared to other locomotive engineers in the Tristate area.

The NJ Transit CEO Kris Kollui stated a press briefing on Saturday morning The agency seeks a reasonable agreement that remains cost-effective, yet acknowledged that the talks have been productive. Kolluri mentioned that he feels they are approximately 95% towards reaching an accord.

Tom Haas, who represents the BLET, addressed CBS News New York while standing on the picket line. He mentioned that both parties have maintained approximately a 95% consensus for around two years now, with just a few remaining points to finalize. Haas expressed his hope for an expedited settlement.

"No one wants to be here. These aren’t joyous circumstances for us. We’ve been compelled to do this. A step that had to be taken. The quicker we conclude this, the better everyone will fare. For the passengers, NJ Transit, the operators, and indeed, the whole state,” stated Haas.

NJ Transit mentions that they have an emergency backup strategy. if the strike extends into the Monday commute Approximately 100,000 individuals commute via NJ Transit trains each day; however, over 350,000 customers throughout the entire transit system experience disruptions.

If BLET officials manage to come up with a tentative agreement, their members will go back to work.

A strike by NJ Transit in 1983 went on for approximately three weeks.