Negotiations between the New Jersey Transit and the union representing train engineers have continued as the first NJ Transit strike in 40 years entered its third day.
Talks between the two groups took place on Saturday, one day earlier than previously planned, with representatives from both sides meeting for about three and a half hours.
"Today's discussion continued to be constructive," said New Jersey Transit CEO Kris Kolluri after the meeting on Saturday. Kolluri added that the parties are 95 percent of the way to a deal. Leaders of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) echoed this sentiment, saying the agreement has been nearly complete for two years, with only final details still unresolved.
"Nobody wants to be out here. This isn't a happy time for us. It's something that we were forced into, something that was necessary," said BLET General Chairman Tom Haas. "And the sooner we can end this, the better off we'll all be. The passengers, NJ Transit, the engineers, the entire state."
Earlier in the day, Kolluri emphasized the agency’s financial limits, stating that he was going to try and reach "a fair deal that will not break the bank."
"That is our principle, we are not moving from that. And I hope the union understands that that is where we are and that is where we will be," Kolluri said at a press conference. "Ultimately, fair wages is their position, which I respect. Not breaking the bank is our position that they should respect."
The two sides are scheduled to continue talks Sunday with a federal mediator at NJ Transit headquarters.
The strike has shut down rail service across New Jersey, impacting about 100,000 daily riders and more than 350,000 total customers. On Friday night, the shutdown caused massive traffic delays during the evening commute in Manhattan, including two-hour backups at the Lincoln Tunnel, according to CBS News.
BLET represents roughly 400 members of NJ Transit’s 12,000-person workforce. The union says engineers have not received a raise in five years and are currently earning $10 less per hour than their regional counterparts. State officials, including Governor Phil Murphy, have warned that meeting the union’s demands could strain NJ Transit’s budget and ultimately shift the burden onto taxpayers.
Union officials have clarified that their members will return to work once a tentative agreement is reached. The last NJ Transit strike occurred in 1983 and lasted about three weeks.
