Syndication: The Record
(Newark, NJ) — New Jersey Transit train engineers walked off the job at midnight on Friday. That means no trains are rolling today. 350-thousand daily riders now have to find other options. The engineer’s union says NJ Transit failed to meet their demand for better wages that are in line with other engineers at Long Island Railroad or Metro North.
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri says paying the engineers more would mean they have to pay every other union more, which could cripple the agency. He says he is willing to keep talking anytime, including Sunday, when the National Mediation Board has asked both sides to restart talks.
There are some limited options for riders who need to get to work. Amtrak and PATH trains will still operate during the strike and so will NJ Transit buses. Beginning Monday, four park and ride lots will be set up in Secaucus, Woodbridge, Hamilton, and at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel. But all the extra buses can only handle about 20-percent of the daily train commuters.
NJ Transit is asking commuters to work from home if they can.
