Engineers go on strike at NJ Transit, nation’s third-largest commuter line

Engineers at New Jersey Transit went on strike early Friday, bringing trains on the nation’s third largest commuter rail service to a halt.

Engineers at New Jersey Transit went on strike early Friday, bringing trains on the nation’s third-largest commuter rail service to a halt. A final day of negotiations between the state-run commuter rail service and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) failed to reach an 11th hour deal to prevent a strike. The work stoppage is poised to severely inconvenience some 100,000 daily rail commuters, businesses across the New York metropolitan area, and fans of Shakira and Beyoncé, who will have trouble getting to concerts the two stars have planned at a football stadium just outside of Manhattan in the coming days. Talks between the two sides ended slightly before 10 p.m. ET Thursday, according to both the union and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri, who appeared at a press conference late Thursday night with NJ Gov. Phil Murphy. Kolluri told the press conference late Thursday that the two sides had been close to reaching a deal but could not reach agreement on a wages package that the state and NJ Transit management believes is affordable. He said the two sides are due to return to the negotiating table by Sunday morning, and that he is ready to return to the the table before then if the union is willing to do so. Kolluri and Murphy both said they want an agreement that is fair to the union members, but not one where the demands of the unions would cause financial problems for the railroad.