NEW JERSEY TRANSIT TEAMSTERS PROTEST OUTSIDE RAILROAD'S HQ AHEAD OF POTENTIAL STRIKE

Friday Deadline Looms as 450 NJ Locomotive Engineers Prepare to Launch Strike

NEWARK, N.J., May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With a potential strike looming Friday, May, 16 at 12:01 a.m., New Jersey Transit (NJT) locomotive engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) protested outside the railroad's headquarters alongside dozens of their fellow Teamsters.

If members are forced to the picket line, this would be the first strike at NJT since one that lasted for over a month in 1983.

"If anyone's commute is disrupted because workers are forced to strike, it's the fault of the executives who mismanage New Jersey Transit," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "The employer wants to pay these workers below the industry standard. They've been bargaining for six years. It's time for the railroad to quit playing games with our members and finally give them the fair deal they've earned."

The 450 locomotive engineers employed by NJT haven't received a raise since 2019, when their contract first became amendable. Since then, the railroad has spent half-a-billion dollars on an unnecessary new headquarters, all while refusing to offer railroaders an agreement that pays the industry standard.

"NJT can afford to pay their locomotive engineers the industry standard. They spent nearly three times what that would cost on interior decorating for their fancy new offices," said Mark Wallace, President of the BLET. "Our 450 members are fully prepared to strike if they are not offered a fair contract by Friday's deadline."

By failing to address the needs of its locomotive engineers, NJT risks disrupting the commutes of the more than 170,000 passengers who rely on its service every day.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610
kdeniz@teamster.org   

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters