NJ Transit locomotive engineers are prepared to leave the transit agency or strike over the latest wage offer, NJ.com reports, with the general chairman of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen saying the union is “at a de facto” impasse with management after three years of talks.
The union says its comparison of pay at Amtrak and eight commuter railroads in the Northeast found NJ Transit’s hourly wage of $39.78 was second lowest, with only the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority lower at $39.74. BLET General Chairman James P. Brown said the NJ Transit workers could “walk across the platform” to other operators and make $15 an hour more.
NJ Transit spokesman Jim Smith said the agency has agreed to contracts with 14 of 15 rail unions, covering 91% of its union rail employees. The agency and BLET are currently in mediation through the National Mediation Board, with a meeting scheduled March 31 in Washington.
CNN reports that under the Railway Labor Act, it could be nine months or more before the dispute could escalate to a work stoppage. The mediation board would have to offer to submit the matter to binding arbitration; if the sides do not agree — the likely response — the clock would start on a possible strike or lockout.
NJ Transit last faced a strike in March 1983; that walkout lasted 34 days. A strike was narrowly averted in 2016 when engineers and conductors were the last to reach an agreement.
Pracitically $40/hour without the unpredictability of working for a freight railroad…me thinks they complain to much. Of course, their jobs could be completely automated and then they’d have no work, but that never crosses their minds, does it?
I must wonder why a person applies for a job , knowing up front the requirements and pay amounts of the work, gets the job , then starts complaining about other same type workers getting higher wages at different company.
Think I would go for the better paying company.