Latest news with #TomHaas
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BLET, New Jersey Transit reach tentative agreement, ending three-day strike
May 18 (UPI) -- Negotiators from the state of New Jersey and the union representing hundreds of locomotive engineers announced they reached a tentative agreement on Sunday, ending the first statewide transit strike in four decades. Terms of the agreement were not made public, but the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union had sought a pay raise for its 450 members. BLET said in a statement that the agreement will be sent to its members and its specifics will be publicized after they've had a chance to review it. "While I won't get into the exact details of the deal reached, I will say that the only real issue was wages, and we were able to reach an agreement that boosts hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month and beyond where we were when NJ Transit's managers walked away from the table Thursday evening," said Tom Haas, BLET's general chairman at NJ Transit. The union went on strike Friday at 12:01 a.m. after negotiations abruptly ended hours earlier. An agreement to prevent a strike had been reached by the union and NJ Transit in late March but members voted 87% against it in mid-April. It was the first statewide transit strike in 42 years. The office of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy confirmed in a statement that rail transit will resume in the state, with regular weekday train service to start Tuesday, as inspections and other maintenance work following the work stoppage will take about 24 hours to complete. "This agreement reflects the commitment of both the BLET and NJ Transit to remain at the table engaging in productive conversations, and I commend them both," Murphy said. "Most importantly, it ensures the resumption of rail service for the 100,000 people who depend on our rail system on a daily basis." The tentative agreement must next be ratified by BLET members and approved by the NJ Transit Board of Directors. The main issue that held up negotiators was pay. BLET had said that its members were the lowest paid of all locomotive engineers working for a major commuter railroad in the nation and that it was seeking a comparable wage for its 450 members. Ahead of the strike, NJ Transit estimated that more than 350,000 daily riders would be negatively affected by the work stoppage. The Partnership for New York City has estimated that every hour commuters are delayed getting to work due to NJ Transit rail being out of service costs New York City employers nearly $6 million.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ Transit strike continues as negotiations may resume this weekend
The traveling calculus for New Jersey's straphangers has made difficult commuting on a normal day even more challenging without the option of NJ Transit train service, which came to a halt in the wee morning hours of Friday, May 16 as locomotive engineers walked off the job to protest stalled negotiations over a five-year-old expired contract. Tom Haas, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said agency officials 'chose to walk away' from the negotiating table in the hours before the strike deadline, while Gov. Phil Murphy and NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri have said that a deal is 'imminently achievable.' Yet both sides spent much of the first day of the strike cheerleading their positions with press conferences and picket lines. Negotiations to end the strike appeared to be set to occur over the weekend. 'It's a mess of their own making," Murphy said, referring to the locomotive engineers, from the Aberdeen-Matawan train station May 16. "It's a slap in the face of every commuter and worker who relies on transit." Mark Wallace, the national president for the BLET who authorized the strike for his members, said, 'our members remain united and solidified,' and they are awaiting a call from NJ Transit to return to the negotiating table. 'We exercised our right under the Railway Labor Act to self-help and we're out there on the picket line essentially voicing the message that we're underpaid and NJ Transit to pay us a fair wage, but they refuse,' Wallace said. NJ Transit has about 172,000 daily weekday rail commuters, but the effects of the strike will be felt by the roughly 350,000 NJ Transit riders across the system as buses are squeezed with more commuters, light rail trains get packed, and as people seek alternatives on private buses, ferries, PATH or Amtrak. This is the second rail strike in the 42 years that NJ Transit has provided rail service. The first one came in 1983, the year the agency took over a variety of once-bankrupt railroads, and lasted 34 days. NJ Transit's contingency plan to address the strike goes into effect Monday, May 19, and includes beefing up existing bus routes along rail routes and adding four new park-and-ride bus service at Hamilton Train Station, Secaucus Junction, PNC Bank Arts Center and Woodbridge Center — but only on weekdays. Newark Light Rail service will also be expanded. LIVE: Complete coverage as New Jersey commuters sound off on start of NJ Transit strike Straphangers had to weigh a variety of factors — like increased costs, transfers and the extra time traveling — as they figured out how to navigate a new commute sans rail. Cynthia Battle gazed at the screen of schedules at Newark Penn Station as she considered travel adjustments. "This is the first day so I'm trying to figure it out," Battle said. "I travel to Plainfield and the city a lot," Battle continued. "I'm having to call a Lyft which is costing me $50, whereas the train would cost $10. As for the New York trip, I have to cancel that.' Daniel, who did not provide his last name, was frazzled by the options he had at Newark Penn — none of them great. 'I don't know what's going on, it's crazy," he said. "I have to change multiple buses and it's an hour extra. I'm late for work.' Laura Kounev of Summit usually took NJ Transit to work in the city but switched to PATH. It typically takes her an hour and 15 minutes door-to-door but May 16 will be over two hours as her husband got stuck in traffic on the way to pick her up, she said. Live Schmidt, who works at Google and typically takes the train from Montclair to New York City, had to go into the office May 16 for an event but ended up missing it. Schmidt intended to take an Uber but several drivers canceled on him causing him to miss the event and decided to just head back home. Still, he said he can adapt to the lack of trains. "It's gonna be OK for the foreseeable future for me," Schmidt said. "But I can imagine others probably are feeling this stress a lot more." NJ Transit and the engineers appear to be waiting for Sunday, May 18 to get back to the negotiating table. Bargaining effectively ended about two hours before the strike began, which Kolluri said was a mutual decision after they reached an impasse despite some progress made in the 11-hour negotiating session Thursday, May 15. The BLET 'put forward a proposal that seems fair to (them) but it doesn't solve our fundamental issue of fiscal responsiveness,' Kolluri said. 'I said, 'Why don't we do this, you take time to think about it, we'll take time to think about it, and then we'll continue talking to meet a solution.'' He added: 'We are making progress and we'll get there.' The National Mediation Board — an independent Washington D.C.-based agency that handles labor negotiations in the railroad and airline industries — has been involved in recent bargaining sessions with NJ Transit and the BLET since the two sides were summoned by the board for a status meeting May 12. A member of the NMB suggested gathering Sunday. The NMB, Congress or the president could intervene at any time with a wide range of tools to bring the parties together, impose a contract or force the engineers back to work, but so far those options haven't been tapped. Bill Dwyer, a former head of labor relations at PSE&G and professor at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, said 'it's going to take a lot of creativity' to get to a deal. 'Mediators can do some pretty great things, given a chance. On the other hand, they've been involved with the mediation board now for a long time and they've not made a deal yet,' Dwyer said. Editorial: NJ Transit officials and BLET must resume negotiations to end the strike — now Need to get to the city?: A strike halts NJ Transit trains. Here are other ways to get to NYC The main dispute in negotiations between NJ Transit and BLET has been over wages. NJ Transit offered the engineers wage increases consistent with what it has offered the 14 other unions the agency bargains with, a concept known as pattern bargaining. But the engineers say they should make more to make them competitive with locomotive engineers at other nearby railroads, or else some will leave for those outfits, as they already have this year. Kolluri said if the agency met the union's latest wage demands, it would have to offer more pay to its other unions because of 'me too' clauses, which could force drastic fare hikes, the need for a significant increase in the corporate transit fee or draconian levels of cuts in service to cover the costs. Haas said the union offered changes to healthcare plans or work rules to lower costs in their proposal and work around those clauses, but NJ Transit "chose to ignore that opportunity.' NJ Transit engineers are currently paid a starting base hourly rate of $39.78. Here is how other nearby railroads are compensated: Amtrak: $55.44 per hour. Long Island Rail Road: $49.92 per hour. Metro-North: $57.20 per hour. SEPTA: $42.17 per hour. PATH: $50.01 per hour. A tentative agreement from March, which was voted down by 87% of the union's voting members, would have brought the starting base pay rate to $40.58 per hour, and here's how it would have increased in the contract when accounting for additional pay in the contract. The agreement included two contract periods (July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2024, and July 1, 2024, through July 1, 2027): July 1, 2020: a 2% increase to $40.58 per hour. July 1, 2021: a 2.25% increase to $42.31 per hour. Jan. 1, 2022: a 2.25% increase to $43.26 per hour. July 1, 2022: a 2.50% increase to $44.34 per hour. July 1, 2023: a 3% increase to $45.67 per hour. July 1, 2024: a 3% increase to $47.03 per hour. July 1, 2025: a 3% increase to $49.82 per hour. July 1, 2026: a 3% increase to $51.32 per hour. July 1, 2027: a 4% increase to $54.86 per hour. These negotiations are 'not only historic, but it's also very unusual,' Dwyer said, because 'it's almost unheard of' to sign a tentative contract only to have it overwhelmingly rejected. 'That tells me something is really amiss here in terms of the union leadership and the membership,' Dwyer said. Asked about this, Haas emphasized their union is a democratic organization that allows members to make their voices head via voting. 'We felt it was a deal worth putting to the membership,' Haas said, but 'that agreement simply did not meet the needs of engineers.' Many state elected officials called on both sides to get back to the table and reach an agreement as soon as possible. 'So many residents are scrambling to find ways to get to work and back home to pick up their kids. This is a mess,' U.S. Sen. Andy Kim said. 'I have made clear to NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen that they need urgent negotiations to continue immediately.' State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz is "severely concerned about the consequences of this strike on our residents and our businesses." "Workers, students and seniors who cannot afford a ride-share or taxi will bear the brunt of this system breakdown and miss a day's pay, a medical appointment, or valuable time in the classroom," she said. "The longer this strike continues, the more it will harm our economy and deepen the very inequities public transit is meant to address." Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz, a Republican from Summit, blamed the governor for what she called a 'full-blown train wreck' that is punishing riders for policy decisions of his administration. That includes a 15% fare hike last year, annual 3% fare increases starting this July, and the controversial decision to move the agency's headquarters to an expensive new space despite cheaper options, including renovating a building the agency owns. 'Time and again, when NJ Transit fails, it's the riders who pay the price,' Munoz said. 'This contract dispute should have been taken care of his first term. Once again it's the commuters who are suffering.' This article originally appeared on NJ Transit strike continues as negotiations may resume this weekend
CBS News
18-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
NJ Transit strike continues Sunday as both sides meet with mediator
NJ Transit trains are still not running Sunday as the engineer strike entered its third day. Talks are continuing Sunday with a mediator at NJ Transit headquarters in Newark. Last week, both sides met with federal mediators in Washington, D.C. in an attempt to avert the strike. The engineers union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, say they met with NJ Transit's president for about three and a half hours Saturday. BLET represents roughly 400 of the agency's 12,000 workers, and says their members haven't gotten a raise in five years and are making $10 less an hour less than other train engineers in the Tri-State Area. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri said at a news conference Saturday morning the agency wants a fair deal that won't break the bank, but noted the discussions were constructive. Kolluri said he believes the sides are about 95% of the way to a deal. Tom Haas, a BLET representative, spoke to CBS News New York from the picket line. He said that the two sides have been at about that 95% agreement level for roughly two years, and some final details still need to be worked out. Haas said he's hoping for a quick resolution. "Nobody wants to be out here. This isn't a happy time for us. It was something we were forced into. Something that was necessary. And the sooner we can end this the better off we'll all be. The passengers , NJ Transit, the engineers, the entire state," Haas said. NJ Transit says it has a contingency plan if the strike extends into the Monday commute. Some 100,000 people ride NJ Transit trains daily, but more than 350,000 customers across the system overall are impacted. BLET officials said if they reach a tentative agreement then their members will return to work. An NJ Transit strike in 1983 lasted about three weeks.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘It's completely doable': NJ Transit strike continues as deal again falls through
NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — There is still no deal to resolve the NJ Transit strike despite more than three hours of negotiations on Saturday afternoon. It is the first time both sides have met since Thursday evening, when a deal could not be reached and locomotive engineers walked off the job. New Jersey Transit trains stopped running at 12:01 a.m. Friday. More Local News Tom Haas, the General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, told PIX11 News said of Saturday afternoon, 'It was a constructive discussion, its a very cordial atmosphere, I'm hopefully that we're close.' Haas then added, 'I do feel hopeful going into tomorrow that we may be able to get something resolved.' NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kris Kolluri issued a statement Saturday evening saying, 'Today's discussions continued to be constructive. We've mutually agreed to adjourn formal discussions for the day, but will continue talking and look forward to resuming discussions tomorrow.' Before the negotiations wrapped up on Saturday, David Estes with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen told PIX11 News, 'We understand that the commuters and the riders deserve to have the trains operating, but we deserve fair pay and that's what we're looking for.' Kolluri stated Saturday morning, 'We want a fair deal that will not break the bank. That is our principle. We are not moving from that.' Estes said their wage demands would not break the bank, adding, 'It's completely doable.' Ahead of the strike, NJ Transit announced contingency plans that included increased bus service and additional alternatives on PATH, Amtrak, and Metro-North trains. Transit and union leaders have a prescheduled meeting Sunday afternoon with the National Mediation Board. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yomiuri Shimbun
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Strike by New Jersey Transit Train Engineers Leaves Some 350,000 Commuters in the Lurch
The Associated Press Access to NJ Transit train tracks is closed at Penn Station, in New York, due to an engineers strike, Friday, May 16, 2025. Train engineers in New Jersey's huge commuter rail system went on strike early Friday, leaving its 350,000 daily riders either working from home or seeking other means to transit the state or cross the Hudson River into New York City. People who normally rely on New Jersey Transit took to buses, cars, taxis and boats for the morning rush hour after trains ground to a halt at a minute past midnight. Some left extra early to avoid problems. A few, unaware that the strike was underway, showed up and waited for trains that weren't going to arrive. Early indications were that the strike hadn't resulted in major traffic jams or epic lines to get onto buses. Friday's rail commute into New York from New Jersey is typically the lightest of the week. But there was some confusion and extra costs as passengers tried to figure out alternate routes in a system that, besides helping New Jerseyans get to work or into Manhattan to see a Knicks game or a Broadway show, also helps New Yorkers get to Newark Airport or concerts at the Meadowlands. David Milosevich, a fashion and advertising casting director, was on his way to a photo shoot in Brooklyn. At 1 a.m. he checked his phone and saw the strike was on. 'I left home very early because of it,' he said, grabbing the bus in Montclair, New Jersey, and arriving in Manhattan at 7 a.m. 'I think a lot of people don't come in on Fridays since COVID. I don't know what's going to happen Monday.' Strike comes after talks this week didn't result in a deal The walkout comes after the latest round of negotiations on Thursday didn't produce an agreement. It is the state's first transit strike in more than 40 years and comes a month after union members overwhelmingly rejected a labor agreement with management. 'We presented them the last proposal; they rejected it and walked away with two hours left on the clock,' said Tom Haas, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri appeared Friday alongside Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy at a news conference. They said they got close to what the union was seeking on wages but raised concerns about the longer-term fiscal health of the transit agency. 'What's the point of giving you a pay raise if a couple of years from now your job is not going to exist?' Kolluri said. 'That's sort of what we're talking about in the most plain and simple terms.' Groups of picketers gathered in front of transit headquarters in Newark and at the Hoboken Terminal, carrying signs that said 'Locomotive Engineers on Strike' and 'NJ Transit: Millions for Penthouse Views Nothing for Train Crews.' BLET National President Mark Wallace walked the picket line outside New York City's Penn Station, and he said the engineers are committed to staying on strike until they get a fair deal. Union members were nearly unanimous in authorizing a strike last summer, and 87% of them rejected the latest agreement. Wallace said NJ Transit needs to pay engineers a wage that's comparable to Amtrak and Long Island Railroad because engineers are leaving for jobs on those other railroads for better pay, The next talks are scheduled for Sunday with the help of federal mediators. The parties met Monday with a federal mediation board in Washington, and a mediator was present during Thursday's talks. The union has seen steady attrition in its ranks at NJ Transit as more of its members leave to take better-paying jobs at other railroads. The number of NJ Transit engineers has shrunk from 500 several months ago to about 400. The engineers are responsible for operating trains, ensuring safe and smooth transport between stations, Strike leaves some concerned, frustrated Many people were concerned not only with their morning commute but making sure they had a way to get home. 'When I come back home to New Jersey what do I do?' nurse Pam Watkins, of Edison, asked an NJ Transit customer service helper on her way to work on Brooklyn on Friday morning. The worker helped her punch through a touch screen that would help her use her commuter ticket for the bus back. 'I don't want to be figuring it out on my way home,' she said. Some riders who were unaware of the strike learned what had happened as they waited at transit stations early Friday for trains that would not be coming. Others sought help to get to their destinations. 'How do I get to Newark (Liberty Airport)?' entrepreneur Vishal Gonday, with a large red suitcase in tow, asked a reporter after trying to get a train ticket at an automated terminal. 'It has kind of messed up my plans' he said, adding he was trying to get a flight to India. One frustrated commuter, who works on a in a train yard for a rail freight company, had no sympathy for the engineers on strike, who he called 'greedy.' 'They are not appreciative of what they have,' said David Lopez, a track worker in a train yard as he was, trotting off the PATH train from New Jersey. 'Trains are never on time and they still complaining about funding,' he said. Riders like him suffered the consequences of delays, he said, calling the striking workers 'greedy, greedy, greedy.' NJ governor says deal needs to be fair to employees and affordable Murphy said it was important to 'reach a final deal that is both fair to employees and at the same time affordable to New Jersey's commuters and taxpayers.' The announcement came after 15 hours of nonstop contract talks, according to the union. NJ Transit — the nation's third-largest transit system — operates buses and rail in the state, providing nearly 1 million weekday trips, including into New York City. The walkout halts all NJ Transit commuter trains, which provide heavily used public transit routes between Penn Station on one side of the Hudson River and communities in northern New Jersey on the other, as well as the Newark airport, which has grappled with unrelated delays of its own recently. The agency had announced contingency plans in recent days, saying it planned to increase bus service, but warned riders that the buses would only add 'very limited' capacity to existing New York commuter bus routes in close proximity to rail stations and would not start running until Monday. Amid uncertainty ahead of the strike, the transit agency canceled train and bus service for Shakira concerts Thursday and Friday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
