Garden State commuters are relieved as NJ Transit trains resume operations following a strike over wages. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen reached a tentative agreement, enhancing pay without fare increases, aimed at recruiting and retaining engineers. While daily operations started with inspections and repositioning, commuters expressed mixed feelings about temporary bus services. Some welcomed the changes, while others faced inconvenience. The agreement is pending ratification by union members and approval by the NJ Transit board next month, providing hope for stabilizing transit services in the region.
"We were able to reach an agreement that boosts hourly pay beyond the proposal rejected by our members last month," BLET's Tom Haas said in a statement, noting that the new deal also aims to help with engineer recruitment and retention, without triggering fare hikes.
Some commuters at park-and-ride stops across North Jersey had mixed feelings Monday. Some, like Ari Zweig from Ramsey, took the reroute in stride. 'A little more inconvenient, but not terrible,' Zweig told NorthJersey.com while boarding a bus in Ridgewood.
Others, like Melissa Summers in Secaucus, arrived expecting trains and found themselves scrambling. 'Now I have to take the bus, which will obviously take more time. What a mess,' she told the outlet.
The tentative agreement still needs to be ratified by union members-votes are expected next month-and approved by NJ Transit's board on June 11. But for now, the strike is officially over.
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