#Teamsters #New Jersey Transit #Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers

New Jersey Transit Locomotive Engineers Protest Ahead of Potential Strike

With a potential strike set for May 16, 2025, at 12:01 a.m., locomotive engineers of New Jersey Transit (NJT), represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), took to the streets outside the railroad's headquarters. The protest saw a significant turnout of Teamsters joining their fellow engineers in demanding fair treatment and better pay.

This possible strike would mark the first such action at NJ Transit since a protracted strike in 1983 that extended over a month. Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien openly criticized the NJT executives, stating, “If anyone's commute is disrupted because workers are forced to strike, it’s the fault of the executives who mismanage New Jersey Transit.” The underlying issue stems from a prolonged negotiation period of six years, during which the engineers have struggled without pay raises or improvements in their contract, which amended its terms in 2019.

During this period, NJ Transit has allocated substantial financial resources—half a billion dollars—towards the construction of a new headquarters, all while leaving locomotive engineers without a fair contract. “The employer wants to pay these workers below the industry standard,