NJ Transit engineers strike set to enter 3rd day as union, rail officials race to reach deal
NEW YORK — New Jersey rail lines stood silent for a second day as union members and state officials agreed to keep hammering out a contract Sunday as the start of the work week loomed.
'[Saturday's] discussions continued to be constructive,' NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri said late in the afternoon. 'We've mutually agreed to adjourn formal discussions for the day but will continue talking and look forward to resuming discussions [Sunday.]'
Kolluri and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy had scheduled meetings with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen on both Saturday and Sunday in the hopes of ending the engineers strike before Monday.
The union asked for the Saturday meeting, which was scheduled on the fly late Friday, Kolluri said as he gave reporters an update on contract negotiations. A Sunday meeting had already been scheduled a few days earlier.
'The national president of locomotive engineers reached out to us for a meeting, and the governor and I promised to meet anytime and anywhere to see if we can get to a resolution,' Kolluri said in an early morning press conference Saturday.
NJ Transit's 450 engineers went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Friday, leaving an estimated 350,000 daily commuters relying on NJ Transit buses to get to Manhattan.
Kolluri admitted that the NJT buses were crowded Friday, but the service ran efficiently enough 'to make sure everyone who wanted to get on a bus had a bus available,' he said.
Commutes to and from a Shakira concert at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Friday night were handled by Coach USA buses that were supplemented by NJT buses, Kolluri said.
'We also had 50 buses waiting at the Vince Lombardi station to make sure that nobody was stranded,' he said. 'Within 45 minutes, NJ Transit quietly and efficiently moved every single person who wanted to get on a bus out of there.'
Money — specifically the hourly wage for the engineers who make the nation's third largest commuter rail network run — is at the center of the labor dispute that came to a head Thursday night as talks stalled and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen called the strike they first voted to authorize in August 2023.
NJ Transit engineers' hourly rate starts at $39.78 an hour — less than their LIRR counterparts, who make $49.92, as well as the engineers of Metro-North, who make $57.20.
Kolluri has said he offered a raise that would have seen the BLET members make $49.82 an hour by the summer. That offer led to a tentative agreement earlier this spring that looked briefly to have averted NJ Transit's first rail strike in 40 years. The proposal was overwhelmingly rejected by 87% of BLET membership, however.
Commuters are encouraged to work at home if the strike continues into Monday. Kolluri said that his people are 'ready to wake up the railroad' as soon as the deal is reached, but the deal will have to be an equitable one.
'We want a fair deal that will not break the bank,' he said. 'That is our principle. I hope the union understands that is where we are and that is where we will be. The governor and I have said we will not make a decision on a labor contract that will leave the next governor a mess to clean up.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US moves stealth bombers as it considers military action against Iran
The US military has sent American B-2 stealth bombers to the US island territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean as President Donald Trump continues to weigh whether to join Israel in launching offensive air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The large jets are considered to be the only aircraft capable of carrying weapons that can strike Iran's most secure nuclear facility, which is buried deep underground below a mountain. US officials have not commented on whether the deployment is linked to the conflict in the Middle East. On Friday, Trump said he would give Iran a maximum of two weeks to make a deal to limit its nuclear programme in order to prevent US strikes. The planes are being sent to Guam from the US state of Missouri. While the deployment is not being officially connected to discussions around the US joining Israel's war on Iran, few will doubt the link. The huge planes, which have wingspans of more than 50 metres, are the only aircraft capable of carrying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000lb (13,608kg) bunker-busting bomb that experts say is required to destroy Iran's deep nuclear facility at Fordo. The facility is thought to be buried around 100m below the surface, protected by reinforced concrete. Despite their overwhelming aerial superiority, Israel lacks the munitions to damage the facility, hence requiring US support. Around 9,500km (5,900m) to the east of Fordo, Guam is maybe not the most obvious base from which to launch any attack. There had also been speculation that the UK facility, Diego Garcia, which is twice as close to Iran than Guam, might be used as a staging post. That would have caused a potential political and diplomatic headache for the British government, as they would have to give their blessing to any US attack, which might in turn make UK bases a target for Iranian retaliation. It is unclear why Guam was chosen as a destination for the bombers. US officials told the BBC's US partner, CBS News, that it is thought that the Guam base would provide better operational secrecy than Diego Garcia. Last week, at least 30 US military planes were moved from the US to Europe, according to flight tracking data reviewed by the BBC. The planes in question are all US military tanker aircraft used to re-fuel fighter jets and bombers. According to Flightradar24, at least seven of these - all KC-135s - stopped off in US airbases in Spain, Scotland and England. The jet movements come amid reports that the US has also moved an aircraft carrier - the USS Nimitz - from the South China Sea towards the Middle East. The Nimitz carries a contingent of fighter jets and is escorted by several guided missile destroyers. The US has also moved F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets to bases in the Middle East, three defence officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The tanker planes moved to Europe over the past several days can be used to re-fuel these jets. US moves 30 jets as Iran attack speculation grows
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rod Stewart Reveals The 1 Reason His Trump Friendship Is Done: 'I Can't Anymore'
Grammy-winning singer Rod Stewart says he can't be friends with President Donald Trump anymore, citing his administration's ongoing support for the brutal Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians since October 2023 according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Stewart recently sat down for an interview with Radio Times to promote his upcoming set at the Glastonbury Festival, only to tear into Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu — after being asked if he still considers Trump a friend. 'No, I can't any more,' Stewart told the outlet. 'As long as he's selling arms to the Israelis — and he still is. How's that war ever gonna stop? And we should stop selling them as well. What did Starmer say yesterday? They dropped the talks on trade?' 'What fucking difference is that gonna make?' the singer continued. 'Someone's gotta do something. What Netanyahu is doing to the Palestinians is exactly what happened to the Jews. It's annihilation, and that's all he wants to do — get rid of them all.' 'I don't know how they sleep at night,' Stewart added. This isn't the first time Stewart has criticized Trump. The rock icon reportedly said ahead of the 2016 election that he didn't think Trump was 'presidential,' called him a 'prick' in 2020 for pulling out of the Paris Climate Accords and ridiculed him onstage last year. Stewart used to frequently socialize with the former real estate tycoon, however. The rock icon explained during his interview Tuesday that he lives 'literally half a mile' from Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida — and once 'knew him very, very well.' 'I used to go to his Christmas parties,' Stewart told Radio Times. 'He's always been a bit of a man's man. I liked him for that. But he didn't, as far as I'm concerned, treat women very well. But since he became president, he became another guy.' 'Somebody I didn't know,' he reflected. The singer mocked Trump last year during a Las Vegas concert ahead of the 2024 election for 'turning orange,' as Trump made the racist claim that then-Democratic nominee, former Vice President Kamala Harris, 'happened to turn Black' before announcing her run. Stewart is a model railway enthusiast at home, but also politically active in his spare time. In 2017, he covered all necessary expenses for a group of children with disabilities — whose parents couldn't raise enough money to travel to Washington, D.C. — to protest a GOP health care bill that included proposed cuts to Medicaid. 'I'm neither a Democrat nor a Republican, but I am a father,' he said at the time. CNN Data Chief Exposes How Trump Totally Lost This 'Political Battle' Proud Boys Have A Warning For Trump Former Trump Aide Steve Bannon Says Fox News Is Pushing 'Pure Propaganda' On Iran
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Strong Portfolio Pushes SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (SMA) to Strong Buy
SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (NYSE:SMA) is among the best small company stocks to invest in. On Wednesday, analysts at Raymond James raised the price target for SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (NYSE:SMA) to $44.00, up from $42.00, while upgrading to Strong Buy from Outperform. This confidence is driven by the company's high-quality portfolio and operating platform. Over the last few months, SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (NYSE:SMA) has returned quite impressive returns. While the market's year-to-date return stands at merely 1.72%, the company reported an impressive 9.24%. This shows that the giant is just getting started. A row of self-storage units in a self-storage complex, showing the affordability and security offered by the company. From higher organic growth potential and margin upside to external growth impact because of its smaller size, the firm highlighted various reasons for a turnaround. The company has witnessed a revenue growth of 5.34% in the last twelve months, and with analysts anticipating 9% growth for the current fiscal year, SMA seems to be a hidden gem. SmartStop Self Storage REIT, Inc. (NYSE:SMA) is a California-based company that owns and operates self-storage facilities in the United States and Canada. This self-managed REIT has a fully integrated operations team of around 590 self-storage professionals. With 220 operating properties in 23 states, the company is committed to delivering value to its investors and customers. While we acknowledge the potential of SMA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
