Nightmare New Jersey Transit Strike Cripples Rail Service

New Jersey was hit by its first statewide transit strike in over 40 years early Friday morning, as 450 unionized locomotive engineers walked off the job amid a contract dispute about pay. The strike brought NJ Transit’s rail network to a halt and disrupted service for 350,000 commuters.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) announced the strike late Thursday night on X, sharing a post that included a link detailing the breakdown in contract negotiations between its negotiators and NJ Transit negotiators over terms of the new contract for locomotive engineers. 

BLET locomotive engineers on strike at NJ Transit. Read more here: https://t.co/DdRhKTf8bh pic.twitter.com/4SR1PqUDIO

— Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (@BLET) May 16, 2025

“After 15-hours of non-stop contract talks today, no agreement on a wage increase was reached this evening between BLET and NJ Transit managers,” the union wrote in a press release, adding, “NJ Transit managers walked out of the talks shortly before 10 p.m. and through their actions have forced a strike despite the transit agency having the funds for a raise.” 

Rail Teamsters from the @BLET are on strike at New Jersey Transit and picketing major terminals in Newark, New York Penn Station, and Atlantic City.

If NJT can spend half-a-billion dollars on lavish penthouse offices, they can come back to the table with a fair deal for their… pic.twitter.com/HXvPC4BHcC

— Teamsters (@Teamsters) May 16, 2025

BLET members have been in talks with NJ Transit since 2019 about a new labor contract, but have failed to reach a deal every time. 

“In August 2023, the members of the local union voted unanimously to grant the BLET National President the authority to call a strike when it became lawful to do so and if a deal had not been reached,” the union said. 

BLET National President Mark Wallace blasted NJ Transit: 

“NJ Transit has a half-billion dollars for a swanky new headquarters and $53 million for decorating the interior of that unnecessary building. They gave away $20 million in revenue during a fare holiday last year. They have money for penthouse views and pet projects, just not for their front-line workers. Enough is enough. We will stay out until our members receive the fair pay that they deserve.”

Wallace was quoted by the local media outlet NBC 4 New York as saying that engineers are committed to the strike until a fair deal is reached. 

NBC 4 New York provided a breakdown of key points of the contract dispute:

• The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday, leaving some 350K NJ Transit riders impacted

• The nation’s third-largest transit system, NJ Transit, provides nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. More NJ Transit buses are being added, but supplemental service can only accommodate about 20% of the people who could be accommodated if the trains were running

• The MTA and other transit agencies are also adding service to help mitigate impacts

• Wages have been the main sticking point. The union claims its members earn an average of $113,000 a year and says an agreement could be reached if that went to $170,000. NJ Transit leadership disputes the union’s data, saying engineers have average total earnings of $135,000 annually

• The last time there was a transit strike was in 1983. That one lasted about a month

A BLET spokesman said the union “is ready to bargain” and “returns to the table now.” Talks are now scheduled for Sunday and will include federal mediators.

Earlier, NJ Gov. Phil Murphy apologized to commuters whose daily commutes to work were abruptly disrupted and called the labor action a “slap in the face of every commuter.” 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said, “the contract being negotiated at this moment is about the long-term future of NJ Transit,” but the state will not “cave” in order to end the first railroad strike in more than 40 years for the agency https://t.co/RoqnQYu4jk pic.twitter.com/gp0a7hp0hk

— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 16, 2025

The New York Times noted: “The abrupt suspension of all of New Jersey Transit’s train service on Friday will make it harder for Gov. Philip D. Murphy to claim that he rescued the troubled transit agency.”