Tentative deal ends 4-day NJ transit strike, rail service resumes Tuesday

New Jersey Transit rail service will resume Tuesday, May 20, following a tentative labor agreement that ended a four-day strike by locomotive engineers. The strike began early Friday and halted train operations for approximately 100,000 daily riders, affecting routes across New Jersey, into New York City, and to Newark Liberty International Airport. — Image credit: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

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Summary

Strike resolution

NJ Transit engineers ended a four-day strike on Sunday, May 18, after reaching a tentative wage deal with management. Full train service is set to resume on Tuesday.

Service restart

Though the union initially expected trains to resume on Monday, NJ Transit required 24 hours to inspect the infrastructure before returning to full operations.

Wage dispute

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said the new deal raises hourly pay above the rejected offer. Final approval is still pending.

Full story

New Jersey Transit rail service will resume Tuesday, May 20, following a tentative labor agreement that ended a four-day strike by locomotive engineers. The strike began early Friday, May 16, and halted train operations for approximately 100,000 daily riders, affecting routes across New Jersey, into New York City and to Newark Liberty International Airport.

Although the union initially announced service could restart Monday, May 19, NJ Transit officials said a 24-hour window was necessary to inspect tracks and equipment before safely resuming full operations.

What caused the NJ Transit engineers strike?

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), representing about 450 engineers and trainees, walked off after wage negotiations broke down. It was New Jersey’s first rail strike in over 40 years. The union argued that engineers’ pay lagged behind their peers at Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road. NJ Transit disputed the union’s figures, claiming average engineer earnings already exceeded $135,000 annually.

Negotiators reached a preliminary deal on Sunday, May 18. Though specific figures have not been disclosed, BLET officials said the agreement improves hourly pay beyond the offer previously rejected by members. The deal still requires union ratification and final approval by NJ Transit’s board on June 11.

NJ TRANSIT & the BLET have announced a tentative agreement.

NJ TRANSIT train service will resume tomorrow, May 20, as it takes approximately 24 hours to inspect and prepare the infrastructure before returning to full scheduled service.

Details at https://t.co/hsrVZbBziS pic.twitter.com/7ZUc7wC7cb
— NJ TRANSIT (@NJTRANSIT) May 19, 2025

What backup options were available during the disruption?

On Monday, May 19, NJ Transit implemented a contingency plan that included supplemental bus service from four designated park-and-ride locations in Secaucus, Hamilton, Woodbridge and Holmdel. NJ Transit continued cross-honoring, allowing riders to use valid rail tickets on its buses and light rail, but not on Amtrak, PATH or ferry services.

NJ Transit added peak-hour capacity to several existing bus routes to and from New York and strongly encouraged riders to work from home if possible.

How are officials responding to the deal?

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called the outcome “a very good one,” praising both sides for crafting an agreement that is “fair to NJ Transit’s employees while also being affordable for our state’s commuters and taxpayers.”

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri said work rule changes will cover the new wage terms instead of raising fares. “We will never compromise the safety of our riders,” he added, citing the 24-hour inspection period as a necessary precaution.

The last NJ Transit strike occurred in 1983 and lasted three weeks.

Evan Hummel (Producer), Devan Markham (Morning Digital Producer), Jonah Applegarth (Production Specialist), and Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: New Jersey, New York, Phil Murphy, transit strike

[craig nigrelli]

THIS MORNING THERE IS ENCOURAGING NEWS FOR ABOUT 100,000 COMMUTERS IN THE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK AREA. THE TRAIN ENGINEERS STRIKE IS OVER. THE BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN WALKED OFF THE JOB ON FRIDAY IN A DISPUTE OVER WAGES.

THAT FORCED COMMUTERS WHO TAKE NEW JERSEY TRANSIT EVERYDAY TO WORK, TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET INTO THE CITY FROM JERSEY, BY GOING OVER THE HUDSON RIVER BY BUS, CAR TAXI AND BOATS, NO TRAINS. THE STRIKE ALSO AFFECTED TRAVEL TO THE NEWARK AIRPORT.

SUNDAY THE ENGINEERS AND MANAGEMENT REACHED A TENTATIVE DEAL TO THE STRIKE. THERE WILL BE ONE MORE DAY OF INCONVENIENCE AS NEW JERSEY TRANSIT SAYS THE TRAINS WILL NOT BE BACK ON SCHEDULE UNTIL EARLY TUESDAY MORNING, AS INSPECTIONS WILL BE TAKING PLACE TODAY.

TERMS OF THE NEW LABOR AGREEMENT ARE GOING OUT TO THE 450 MEMBERS. THE UNION CHIEF SAYS HOURLY PAY IS GOING UP. HE WOULD NOT SAY BY HOW MUCH, ONLY THAT IT WILL **NOT** BUST THE BUDGET OR FORCE TRAIN FARES TO GO UP.

Why this story matters

The resolution of the New Jersey Transit rail strike restores critical transportation services to tens of thousands of commuters and highlights ongoing challenges in public sector labor relations regarding wage parity, service continuity and financial stewardship.

Labor negotiations

The strike and its resolution underscore the complexities of negotiations between public agencies and labor unions, particularly over wage disparities and worker retention, as reported by multiple sources and affirmed by union and NJ Transit officials.

Commuter disruption

Suspension of rail service for several days disrupted travel for around 100,000 daily riders, emphasizing the essential role of transit infrastructure for regional mobility, according to Associated Press and agency statements.

Financial and operational challenges

The dispute and eventual agreement reflect concerns over maintaining fiscal responsibility while addressing rising wage pressures and avoiding fare increases, as discussed by NJ Transit leadership and attributed to Governor Phil Murphy and CEO Kris Kolluri.

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Behind the numbers

Sources report that approximately 100,000 daily rail riders were directly impacted by the strike, with broader estimates citing disruptions to up to 350,000 commuters due to alternative travel arrangements. NJ Transit stated the cost of contingency plans was around $4 million per day, and wage disagreements involved proposals ranging from $113,000 to $170,000 average salaries for engineers.

Debunking

There were claims that the requested wage increases would lead to catastrophic budget consequences and fare hikes. However, union representatives stated that the agreed-upon pay raise could be implemented without significant fiscal impact or fare increases, disputing projections that framed the increases as unaffordable. Both the union and NJ Transit leadership have offered competing calculations on costs.

History lesson

The previous NJ Transit rail strike, which lasted several weeks, occurred over 40 years ago, in 1983. Since then, there have been threats of strikes, most recently in 2016, but these were resolved before work stoppages began. The situation demonstrates the increasing difficulty in public sector wage negotiations amid inflation and a competitive labor market.

Sources

Bias comparison

Media outlets on the left frame the NJ Transit strike primarily as a justified, historic labor action, emphasizing workers’ rights and portraying management as recalcitrant, with headlines lauding the “pay raise for workers” and describing the strike as “long time coming.”
Not enough coverage from media outlets in the center to provide a bias comparison.
Media outlets on the right highlight the strike’s disruption to commuters, framing the union’s demands as financially unsustainable and a “mess of their own making,” employing sharper language like “slap in the face” and stressing pattern bargaining constraints with detailed wage comparisons.

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Media landscape

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157 total sources

Key points from the Left

Negotiators for New Jersey Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen announced a tentative agreement to end a three-day strike affecting 100,000 transit customers, according to the union.
The tentative deal needs ratification by union members and the New Jersey Transit board.
Trains are expected to resume regular schedules on Monday, pending ratification by the union's members and New Jersey Transit board.
The main issue was achieving a wage increase for engineers with concerns about budget impact, as stated by the union's general chairman at New Jersey Transit.

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Key points from the Center

New Jersey Transit and its engineers union reached a tentative wage agreement on Sunday that ended a three-day strike affecting statewide train service.
The strike started on Friday following unsuccessful wage negotiations and represented the first significant transit work stoppage in the state in over four decades.
The union representing 450 NJ Transit train engineers confirmed that the new agreement increases hourly wages beyond the offer their members had previously turned down.
Union leader Tom Haas said the new agreement boosts wages without causing budget problems or triggering a fare increase, while NJ Transit disputes some salary data.
The agreement awaits ratification votes by union members and the NJ Transit board, with regular train service expected to resume Tuesday after infrastructure inspections.

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See Hide headlines from Center sources 65 sources

Key points from the Right

Negotiations to end a strike between NJ Transit engineers and management will continue over the weekend, as confirmed by NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri.
The strike began after the latest contract talks failed to produce an agreement, affecting 350,000 daily commuters and halting all NJ Transit trains for the first time in over 40 years.
Engineers are seeking higher wages to match those at Amtrak and Long Island Railroad, as current salaries reportedly range between $113,000 and $135,000.
Kolluri stated that NJ Transit is preparing for the upcoming workweek commute by increasing bus services to support stranded commuters, although the additional buses may not accommodate all.

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