The union for New Jersey Transit engineers announced Thursday its members have voted unanimously to call a strike, though the vote does not allow the union to immediately initiate a strike. Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, have been seeking a new contract since October 2019.
“We’re fed up with NJ Transit’s misplaced priorities, deceit and stonewalling,” said BLET President Eddie Hall, president of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “NJ Transit’s managers wasted taxpayer dollars by going to court this month in a frivolous and failed attempt to block our vote count and strip us of our rights. They would rather litigate than negotiate. We would prefer to reach a voluntary settlement, but make no mistake … as soon as it is lawful for us to act, we will.”
“The injunction that NJ Transit successfully obtained from the federal court in June 2022 following the union’s illegal job action remains in effect. The injunction specifically prohibits the union from engaging in any strike or job action. The new court order also required that the union e-mail their members to remind them that the injunction remains in place to ensure service is uninterrupted over the holiday weekend,” said NJ Transit in a statement.
