Statements on the NJ Transit strike

GOV. PHIL MURPHY

“Over the past several weeks and months, we have been working around the clock to avoid this strike and keep NJ TRANSIT operating at full capacity. As always, our single-highest priority has always been to provide the best possible service to our state’s commuters and taxpayers. This strike will upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans. My message tonight to our locomotive engineers is this: the path to a new contract will be paved at the negotiating table, not the picket line. Ultimately, it is the people of New Jersey who will suffer because of this strike. I am calling on our locomotive engineers to remain at the negotiating table to reach a fair and affordable deal so we can get the trains moving again as soon as possible and avoid raising costs on riders and taxpayers.”

NJ TRANSIT PRESIDENT & CEO KRIS KOLLURI

“I have always said that any deal we reach would have to be fair to our engineers and fiscally responsible without burdening our riders or the taxpayers of New Jersey. While we, unfortunately, were unable to finalize a deal Thursday night, I am committed, as I have been since my first day on the job in January, to remaining at the bargaining table for as long as it takes to get an agreement finalized. We have an obligation to the hundreds of thousands of NJ TRANSIT customers to work around-the-clock until a deal is reached and rail service can resume for all those who rely on it every day.”

SENATOR CORY BOOKER

“The labor of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen moves our entire region. Throughout negotiations with NJ TRANSIT, their members have been clear about their concerns. It’s incumbent upon both parties to continue negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement as soon as possible that honors the work of BLET members, restarts and maintains NJ TRANSIT’s operational capacity, and effectively serves the hundreds of thousands of New Jersey families that rely on NJ TRANSIT and lift up our economy every day.”

SENATOR ANDY KIM

“New Jersey families can’t afford to have NJ Transit trains down. So many residents are scrambling to find ways to get to work and back home to pick up their kids. This is a mess. I have made clear to NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen that they need urgent negotiations to continue immediately.”

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER

“Hundreds of thousands of riders rely on NJ Transit every day to get to work, support our local economy, and see friends and family. Now, with no agreement reached, this strike will grind our trains to a halt, deliver a devastating blow to our economy, and leave millions of commuters stranded. That’s something Jersey simply can’t afford.

We must stand with the hardworking men and women who keep our transit system running — they deserve good pay and an honest contract.”

The best way forward for Jersey is for both sides to stay at the table and hammer out a solution that works for workers, riders, and our state. I’m calling on both sides to stay at the table 24/7 until a deal is done. All parties need to keep negotiating day and night — all of this is too important to walk away.

I’m having active conversations with those involved in the negotiations and remain hopeful that we can reach a solution that guarantees good wages, protects workers, and keeps our trains moving. I know we can get this done — and we must. Jersey families are counting on it.”

REP. MIKIE SHERRILL

“I’m deeply concerned about the impact that this loss in rail service will have on families and commuters across New Jersey. For so many in our community, NJ TRANSIT isn’t optional — it’s how we get to work, school, and critical appointments.

I have spoken with both NJ TRANSIT and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). These workers have kept our state moving through storms, shutdowns, and a pandemic. They have gone years without a contract and deserve fair treatment and a livable wage. I respect their right to organize and collectively bargain.

At the same time, disruptions in service will have a serious ripple effect across our state and region. I’m urging both sides to return to the negotiating table immediately. A fair resolution is still possible — and the cost of a prolonged strike is simply too high for New Jersey families.”

REP. TOM KEAN JR.

“NJ Transit is a vital mode of transportation, particularly for us in Union and Somerset Counties. I hope a fair deal for transit workers is reached immediately. This system needs to operate for our residents, and the engineers need to be treated with decency and respect.”

REP. NELLIE POU

“New Jersey Transit commuters have faced a lot of adversity and were already bracing for another difficult summer. For the rail service to stop running entirely this morning causes deep suffering for so many of our already-burdened communities and is a blow to our regional economy.

I am deeply frustrated by the labor impasse at NJ Transit and have stayed in touch with both sides. Engineers have been without a contract too long and our commuters have suffered enough. The railroad and the engineers union should get back to the negotiating table without delay, avoid a prolonged disruption in service, and reach a fair deal now.”

STATE SENATE PRESIDENT NICK SCUTARI

“Today is a difficult day for New Jersey. The breakdown in negotiations between NJ Transit and the locomotive engineers’ union and resulting strike will have a major impact on the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of our residents.

Public transportation is not a luxury in our state. It is a lifeline. It connects workers to jobs, students to classrooms, patients to health care, and families to one another. Its disruption causes more than just inconvenience. It creates real hardship: missed workdays, lost wages, delayed appointments, and an increased burden on our roads and highways.

Without access to reliable rail service, people will be forced to make impossible choices between showing up to work on time or caring for a loved one, between affording a costly ride-share or staying home altogether.

I am calling on both parties to return to the negotiating table and work in good faith toward a resolution that restores service, is fiscally sound, and respects the needs of both workers and riders.

New Jerseyans deserve better than this. We owe it to them to bring this disruption to an end and ensure our transit system is available, affordable and reliable for today and for the long haul.”

ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CRAIG COUGHLIN

“The strike by NJ Transit engineers has brought rail service to a halt, creating real and immediate challenges for those who rely on public transportation to get to work, attend school, access medical care, and support their families. New Jerseyans have always shown resilience in the face of hardship, but they should not be forced to bear the burden of these deadlocked negotiations.

Transit in New Jersey is not optional. For hundreds of thousands of riders, it’s how they move through their day, earn a living, and stay connected to the people and places that matter most. The loss of rail service reverberates far beyond missed trains. It floods our highways, strains our buses, and leaves our commuters scrambling for alternatives.

We need both sides to return to the negotiating table and stay there until a resolution is reached—one that is fair, fiscally responsible, and most importantly, keeps fare payers and riders at the center of the conversation.

The people of New Jersey expect a transit system that works for them. Every commuter, every student, every family impacted by this strike deserves swift action and a resolution that restores the service they count on.”

STATE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER TERESA RUIZ

“I am severely concerned about the consequences of this strike on our residents and our businesses. Workers, students, and seniors who cannot afford a ride-share or taxi will bear the brunt of this system breakdown and miss a day’s pay, a medical appointment, or valuable time in the classroom. The longer this strike continues, the more it will harm our economy and deepen the very inequities public transit is meant to address.

We know there has been robust discussion and engagement between NJ Transit and the Engineers’ union, and I encourage both parties to continue working in earnest to form a fair labor agreement as quickly as possible. Our communities cannot wait.

In advance, I thank all levels of public safety, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and our bus drivers for stepping up in a time of crisis and need to coordinate emergency transit service.”

STATE SENATE MINORITY LEADER ANTHONY M. BUCCO

“Our commuters deserve safe and reliable service—now. The current NJ Transit strike is unacceptable, and I am calling on all parties to return to the negotiation table immediately. A swift and fair resolution must be reached that does not place the financial burden on the backs of our riders and taxpayers.

New Jersey families rely on NJ Transit to get to work, school, and doctor’s appointments, so let’s get everyone back to the table and back to work—for the sake of our commuters and our economy.

The Murphy administration and NJ Transit have had five years to settle this labor dispute, and their failure to do so is simply intolerable. NJ commuters deserve better.”

FORMER STATE SENATE PRESIDENT STEVE SWEENEY

“350,000 riders who use NJ Transit daily were left stranded today.

I know what it’s like to go on strike, it’s not an easy decision — Governor Murphy, NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri, and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen must stay at the table, come to an agreement, and get our state moving again.”

FORMER ASSEMBLYMAN AND REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JACK CIATTARELLI

“Governor Murphy promised to fix New Jersey Transit if it killed him. Almost 8 years later, the only people in peril are the people who use it everyday. What a mess.

Major reforms coming when [I’m] governor.

Riders and taxpayers deserve better. It’s time.”

REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE BILL SPADEA

“Shame on Governor Murphy for allowing the NJ Transit negotiations to get to this point. It is perfectly reasonable for the engineers and train operators to want fair compensation after working the past 6 years without an increase. That said, I stand with the 350,000 commuters who rely on NJ Transit trains for their daily commute. The commuters should not be held hostage while the two sides continue their negotiations over a deal that will ultimately (as currently discussed) open the door for dramatic cost increases across the board and lead to fare hikes and tax increases. Both sides should negotiate in good faith for fair wages that avoid triggering any ‘me too’ clauses in other contracts.

Governor Murphy should have stepped in months ago. Now he needs to find an ounce of leadership and solve this by keeping all parties at the table and ensuring that this gets resolved immediately, if not sooner. In the absence of a deal, Congress should use their authority under the Railway Labor Act to end this strike and make sure our commuters can get to work on Monday.”

NEWARK MAYOR RAS BARAKA

“At last night’s press conference at Newark Penn Station with Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri, I was glad to hear that NJ Transit leadership wants to remain at the negotiating table and is open to furthering these talks.

This strike presents a serious burden for commuters and creates hardships for our residents in Newark, as well as people who come here to work. We are hopeful that talks will resume this weekend and the strike can be brought to a quick end.

NJ Transit’s financial woes, and the strike they precipitated, are instructive and make clear that a steady revenue stream is essential to an infusion of funds into this long-neglected transportation asset. We need to restructure our funding model – and evaluate the wisdom of focusing on highway expansion without extracting the lesson from this moment. It’s time New Jersey shifts towards reimagining our transportation system away from a conduit between major metropolitan destinations and focuses clearly on the increasing ridership of residents in our own cities for their daily needs to live, work and play.”

HOBOKEN MAYOR RAVI BHALLA

“This morning, thousands of Hoboken residents woke up to a transit crisis with no reliable way to get to work or school. Our city depends on functioning rail service, and once again the state has failed to deliver. I’m calling on NJ Transit management to return to the bargaining table immediately and negotiate a fair contract that restores essential mass transit service to the thousands of working families who rely on it to get to work on a daily basis.

Every day this strike continues means thousands more missed work days, canceled appointments, and disrupted lives across our region. We need a resolution now that respects workers and restores the rail service our residents depend on.”

STATE SEN. LINDA GREENSTEIN (D-PLAINSBORO)

“As the NJ TRANSIT engineers’ strike begins, I want to acknowledge the serious impact this will have on hundreds of thousands of commuters across New Jersey. I strongly urge NJ TRANSIT leadership and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to return to the bargaining table and reach a deal to get the trains moving again.

This is a difficult situation for everyone involved, but I am hopeful that the two sides can reach an agreement that is both fair to the union workers and fiscally responsible for the state’s transit system long-term.”

STATE SEN. BENJIE WIMBERLY (D-PATERSON)

“The NJ TRANSIT strike has stranded hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans without access to a safe and reliable form of transportation, and the people of the 35th District are among those being hardest hit. For many residents, especially those who don’t own a car, public transit isn’t an amenity—it’s a lifeline.

While I believe that employees do have the right to protest over fair wages and working conditions, this strike reveals inherent weaknesses in our transit system. The breakdown of negotiations and lack of contingency planning have left our communities at risk.

I urge NJ TRANSIT officials and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen to immediately return to the negotiating table. We require a speedy, fair resolution that respects workers and reestablishes critical service for riders across the state. Our commuters deserve better, and so does our transit system.”

STATE SEN. ANGELA McKNIGHT (D-JERSEY CITY)

“As an urban community, Hudson County residents and commuters who depend on public transit daily will be hurt the most from the fallout of this strike. This service stoppage will lead to more congestion on our roadways, crowding in PATH stations, and potentially missed days from work, school, or important appointments. The financial strain is real, especially with New York City’s congestion pricing in effect, drastically raising the cost of driving into Manhattan. I ask NJ Transit leadership and the engineers’ union to consider these factors and come to a resolution as quickly as possible so riders can get to their destination quickly, safely, and at an affordable price.”

STATE SEN. LATHAM TIVER (R-SOUTHAMPTON)

“This strike is not just about contract disputes. It’s the culmination of years of fiscal mismanagement and the wrong priorities at NJ Transit — failures we warned about over a year ago. The public deserves to know how one of the state’s most critical agencies is spending its money — and clearly, it’s not where it’s most needed.”

The Democrat-led legislature and Governor blocked my NJ Transit audit bill, which could’ve stopped this mess. NJ Transit spent $500 million on new offices and millions on interior design, but can’t even operate the trains for 350,000 daily commuters. Now they’ll say they need to raise taxes and fares to pay workers. The money is always there. It’s just being wasted.

Our economy relies on a safe, reliable, and functional transit system. Taxpayers, commuters, and transit workers all deserve transparency and accountability.”