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>> The strike is on.

All transit rail service has been suspended as locomotive engineers go on strike for the first time in over 40 years.

>> whoo!

[horn blows] >> Governor Murphy and transit officials say negotiations are still in progress.

>> Normally I would start a press conference like this one by saying good morning but for families and commuters frankly all across New Jersey this morning, it is anything but a good morning.

>> Engineers from the Brotherhood of locomotive engineers and -- are on the picket line in Newark and across the state.

>> this strike is going to go on for as long as New Jersey transit allows it to.

>> with no trains inside come commuters are looking for other ways to get around.

>> I't's stressful not knowing when the trains are going to come.

When the strike will be over.

>> "NJ Spotlight news" begins right now.

♪ >> From NJ PBS Studios, this is "NJ Spotlight news."

>> Thanks for joining us on this Friday night.

I am Briana Vannozzi.

We begin with the big story in the state tonight.

New Jersey transit is on strike.

Bringing trains on the nations third largest rail system to a halt.

It is the first statewide transit strike here since 1983 which lasted for more than a month.

Workers walked off the job shortly after midnight which was the deadline for New Jersey transit leadership and the brotherhood of locomotive engineers union to reach a contract deal for its 400 engineers.

The two sides have been at odds over salary increases, union members have been without a contract since 2019 and say they should make a similar salary to their peers in New York.

The Murphy administration has insisted it has put forth a fair wage proposal and says what the union is asking for would be a budget buster Peer how to the talks break down and how long could this last and how can commuters get around?

We have team covered with our reporters fanned out across the state.

We begin with Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan who was with the governor earlier today after catching up with rail riders this morning.

>> Commuters in Cranford lined up for buses to Port Authority one of the remaining routes available into New York for some 100,000 riders left stranded after transit engineers walked off the job at midnight over a wage dispute.

How is it going?

>> Not well.

This is my first morning and I was not sure where to go.

This is not the closest bus station but it seemed like the easiest one to figure out.

>> It is stressful not knowing when the trains are going to come.

Like when the strike will be over.

>> Tonight I was supposed to go to the Yankee game straight after work.

I do not know how I'm going to do that now because getting home could be an issue.

>> At least Matt's got options to work from home.

Fewer folks headed into the office on Fridays anyway but others do not have that choice.

>> I've got three kids.

I work full-time in the city.

>> She caught a ride with a private charter bus company that ramped up service in anticipation of the strike could She says it is worth a few extra bucks.

>> I booked in advance for the next couple weeks because the lines sometimes for the regular New Jersey transit buses can be like sometimes 40 to 50 people.

>> Express buses did look full but they ran frequently enough to keep lines from getting too long this morning.

And while some felt rail service was going to the dogs.

>> I sympathize with the workers.

It's been five years since they have gotten a raise.

>> the workers are faithful and I hope that they will resolve the matter soon.

>> I want to make sure we get one thing straight up front.

It did not have to come to this.

It is Frankly a mess of their own making and a slap in the face of every worker who relies on transit.

>> The governor speaking this morning at an empty train station in Aberdeen noted the morning commute a in counterfeit issues.

It followed a good-faith offer to the brotherhood of local engineers.

>> It would have given their members on most exactly what they were asking for, being paid the same wage as engineers at other transit systems in our region.

And crucially that contract would have provided our engineers their hard earned raises without blowing up NJ transit's budget.

>> Talks went off the rays after a so-called me too provision that lets other transit unions demand similar contract enhancements involving concessions the Ajay Singh claimed it could not afford to make.

What now?

>> We have had three days of extraordinary productive discussions and I will say this to you.

If you look at this contract is 100% deal, we are 95% there.

>> If Monday comes without a country, NJ transit plans extra bus service that will cost an eight the agency an extra $4 million a day.

A handful of union members picketing near the station made a solution sound simple.

>> We want a fair contract.

For fair wages and get back to our job because our job is to move people and that is what we want to do.

>> the last strike lasted 34 days Peer that was back in 1983.

Both sides in this one say they are eager to resume negotiations.

In Aberdeen, I am Brenda Flanagan, NJ Spotlight news.

>> I'm Ted Goldberg outside of Newark Penn Station where engineers have been picketing since about midnight when the strike first began.

As for how long the strike could go on for.

>> This strike is going to go on for as long as New Jersey transit allows a two.

>> Each accusing the other side of walking away from negotiating table leading to pickets across the system.

>> We have been bargaining in good faith, trying to reach a deal, we did not have a press conference set up because we fully expected to reach a deal.

>> We want nothing more than to be back at work at all of these guys are here are not getting paid today.

And we are not running our trains, not serving the passengers that we really care about.

But the fact of the matter is that we have no other way to address this enormous inequity that we see.

>> The brotherhood of -- or BLET is part of the national Teamsters union, the general president gave a colorful summary Saying railroad executive had every opportunity to reach a fair deal but these clowns chose to waste money on decorating their lavish Penthouse offices.

New Jersey transit could've avoided the strike but they blew it."

The breakdown has to do with salary.

With the union claiming its wages are far below fellow engineers across the region.

>> I don't quite agree with the notion that somebody who lives in New Jersey and works in New Jersey should be entitled to make a wage that as if they live and work in New York.

>> The NJ transit president has criticized the unions for agreeing to a handshake deal.

Only for the union rank-and-file to overwhelmingly vote it down.

>> It was a deal that was worth putting before the membership because it started to address some of the inequity that we saw.

But it did not do nearly enough to address that.

In the eyes of the membership.

So ultimately they had to be the ones to speak, and they did, so 87% of the members said this is not enough.

I. agree with them >> The strike came as a nasty surprise for late-night travelers, forced to scramble to get him.

>> I got the information was like, are you where there is a strike?

What strike?

So I took the Path here, because I knew in advance.

>> Interesting to know the trains are not working.

I was hoping to catch the-- the train to Manhattan.

Probably have to get an Uber or something.

This was not planned but I hope it goes away.

>> transit folks worked hard to help people find other ways to get around.

>> I was thinking of the bus but at Port Authority but here, they have a bus here, right?

But, other than that, now I forgot about the Path.

>> I took the Path here instead and now I will see if there are supplemental bus service that will take me to somewhere close to Trenton and I still will take -- that's all I can say for now.

>> I had to change my ticket at a higher premium to leave from Newark instead of from New York Penn.

You have to roll with it.

>> Union leadership says the next round of negotiations will be with the National Mediation Board Sunday in Newark.

Outside Penn Station, I'm Ted Goldberg, NJ Spotlight news.

>> I'm Raven Santana at the South Amboy ferry terminal where commuters say they were racing for a transit nightmare but were pleasantly surprised to find that it was relatively quiet and they don't mind the alternative routes for now.

>> For now it is not bad.

It is annoying but we will make it work.

>> Make your work was the phrase of the morning as tens of thousands of commuters sought alternative ways to reach their destinations, including taking the New York waterway ferry stop in South Amboy.

[horns] Union Beach resident frank said he did not have the option to work from home.

So he called an early morning ferry to ensure you get to work on time, even though his shift did not start until later in the afternoon.

>> This is my alternative.

Nobody in Jersey added more services, there are no more buses going in, they are keeping a regular schedule.

Great that they upgraded and made bigger ferry service, a bigger boat, but there is no extra service print this is the last one part I do not have to be in until 12:00.

I'm going in at 8:45.

Beside that, New Jersey transit will get more money which is great, but guess who will pay for that and another month?

We are.

>> Brooks says the ferry will be here or go to when she waits for updates.

>> When I return I anticipate taking a ferry.

Trying to adjust plans that needed to support people trying to make their working lives better.

>> Rail.

service has been suspended >> A short distance away it was a ghost town, a clear sign that residents and commuters had gotten word of the strike and stayed home.

Still nearly every commuter I spoke with expressed support for the reasons behind the strike.

>> I want everybody to make as much money as I can.

It is inconvenience but is not their fault in particular.

>> I am fully in support of labor's right to strike.

And I am fully -- we admit it is inconvenient, I think it is a really important mechanism that Americans have to improve their working conditions.

>> People I spoke with say they remain hopeful that a deal will be reached over the weekend before their Monday commute.

In the meantime they all agreed that the ferry even at a higher price of $18 one way, may become their new mode of transportation.

For NJ Spotlight news, I'm Raven Santana.

>> New Jersey transit president characterized the end of negotiations as a pause.

Both last night and today.

Saying a deal is eminently achievable.

As Ted Goldberg mentioned, both sides are scheduled to sit down with the National Mediation Board on Sunday here in Newark.

But say they are open to reaching a deal before then.

New Jersey state and federal lawmakers have been weighing in, issuing statements urging leadership to stay at it until they have come to an agreement, while also pointing out the paper thin margins with which New Jersey transit operates.

Governor Murphy argues the transit system and taxpayers cannot handle the pay raises and contract language on the table.

Warning it would force a 17% fare increase and a 27% spike for corporate transit fees.

We are to the two sides go from here?

New Jersey transit president joins me with the latest on negotiations.

Thanks for your time.

I mean, of course the question on everyone's mind is how do negotiations break down to the point we are at now which is a full work stoppage for the rails?

>> Look, I mean, we had a marathon 15 hour session yesterday.

And when we ended the session it was very cordial.

I said, I understand that what they want is a fair wage but I, on the other hand, need to make sure the wages are not only fair but fiscally responsible.

That means it is affordable.

At no point in making a deal when a couple years from now I have increased the fare substantially or the corporate transit fees has to go up substantially, or the taxpayers have to pony up for their tax bills.

So, we are trying to stitch together a deal that achieves both of those objectives.

And I'm confident that we will.

>> With what is on the table right now, would it be, fall in the laps of commuters and taxpayers?

You talked quite a bit about how fare hikes we need to happen.

Is that right now the plan you are looking at?

>> Look, I certainly believe that the plan they put forward would have a detrimental impact not only the budget but to the riders.

I want to say this one point to you.

I am in this job for a year.

It would be very easy for me and the governor, who is term limited to say, what do we care?

Let's make a deal and let somebody else worry about it.

That is precisely how we have gotten as a state in the mess we are in in all kinds of parts of the state budget.

What the governor has committed to throughout his 10 year -- his tenure is to make sure we only do things that we can sustain on a financial basis.

No point in making a deal today if the next governor has to clean up or has to come up with a way to pay for it that is not currently paid for, that is just not something that we are willing to do.

And that is a line in the sand.

>> Can you clarify for us how that relates to this me too clause?

And why that seems to be the linchpin here?

>> Look, fundamentally what I'm trying to do is negotiate a deal with the locomotive engineers for which they want a fair wage.

For that we need concessions that are critically related to them and fare increases that will be -- backed by work rules, that will allow them to give them the wage increase.

If you go outside of those parameters, that is when the costs begin to balloon out of control.

So, all I have said is let's come up with a deal that crisis is satisfied where you want to be and where high have to be and let us make this as airtight as possible so we are only dealing with their issues and their needs,.

>> If you had to venture to guess, how long might this strike go on, and are there any concessions that the agency is not willing to make?

>> By the way, I want to reiterate this point.

I have now been in negotiation sessions with them almost for ten weeks in different time periods.

When I first had a chance to come and talk to you we talked about the first time around when there was a potential strike and I got to a deal and I got to a deal by making exactly this point.

So I am confident we can get to a deal.

I did not want the strike in the first place.

But the union has chosen to do it.

No matter.

I just think that we just need to be calm, focused on the mission at hand, which is to get them a fair deal but to make sure it is affordable.

>> The CEO of New Jersey transit for us.

Thanks so much for your time.

>> thank you so much.

>> If you are one of the displaced rail riders you do have some options.

New Jersey transit has posted a list of contingency plans on its website, including more bus service during peak hours on lines that service Manhattan.

That is where the agency is focusing effort since most of its customers are commuters into New York City.

Now, starting Monday, May 19, New Jersey transit will operate additional park and ride service.

That's also during peak weekday hours from Secaucus Junction, the PNC Bank arts Center, Hamilton train station and Woodbridge Center Mall.

Aside from hopping in a car, if you have one, the, light rail, check and PATCO and private carrier buses are still operating.

Heads up.

New Jersey transit train tickets and passes will only be cross honored on New Jersey transit's bus and light rail.

The strike is not just upended train riders commutes, it also means some passengers are shelling out more money to find alternate routes.

There's potential for significant economic impact if the strike lasts for any length of time like it did four years ago.

Especially if the union and New Jersey transit leaders can't agree on language around this me too clause.

For more on that and how these negotiations were, we talked to Bill Dwyer, the labor negotiation expert at Rutgers University.

Bill Dwyer, thanks for your time.

I think we cannot make light of the fact, regardless of how many times it has been said today, that this has not happened in four decades.

Can you explain a little bit of the historical significance here?

>> Yeah, it is a major historical significance.

You know, it is disrupting a lot of people's commutes and routines.

Creating a lot of inconvenience at the very least for a lot of people.

And, you know, financially it is impacting New Jersey transit in a negative way.

A lot of ramifications as to what is going on here.

>> There has been much made of the fact that it seems like the head and the body of the union were clearly disconnected, because there was an agreement on the table, the heads of the Union did a handshake so to speak on it with the governor's office, and then it fell apart.

How common is something like that when we are talking about negotiations at this level?

>> it is very unusual.

Nancy Pelosi used to say you never take anything for a vote you do not know what the outcome is going to be.

Which is sage advice.

But I've never seen a ratification vote get voted down by such a strong margin.

It was 90% of the voters of the voting members of the union.

Voted it down.

It wasn't due to low voter turnout.

Close to 90% of the membership voted.

So, it's an indication that the expectations of the membership and the leadership were just completely out of alignment.

>> The governor and the president have talked quite a bit in the days leading up to that to the fact it is not just about the wages they are asking for, it is also some of the parity that can be brought from other unions, this me too clause, they have been talking about or most most favored nation.

Can you explain more about what that is and why the state says it puts them on the hook to perhaps make up wages for other unions.

>> Sure.

Let me preface it by saying I have not seen this specific language.

In the contract that they are referring to.

But in general, me too clauses are parity clauses, saying that when there are multiple unions under one employer, there are 14 other unions here, whatever benefit one union gets, the others are entitled to, also.

So, if there are additional benefits in terms of compensation, the other unions would be entitled to that unless that parity was limited to only things like work rules or working conditions other than salary and compensation.

But, based on the comments that were made last night by Kris Killori it sounds as though the compensation is included in these me too clauses with these other unions, which raises the stakes considerably.

The numbers that were thrown out last night were, instead of $10 million more, because of the other unions being involved, this is now going to cost $100 million or more.

That's a real problem.

>> It really comes down to the language they are negotiating in the contract.

Is there one side that sort of has the upper hand here?

Obviously these workers are going without pay.

The state did pass some laws that allows them to apply for unemployment benefits, but by the same token, New Jersey transit is out a heck of a lot of money trying to contract these bus companies to make up for some of the ridership.

>> Yeah, I think in terms of public sentiment, in the short term, the workers, the union is probably on the more positive side, if you will.

But I think that is short-lived, because, you know, health benefits typically go month-to-month.

If the employee were to stop paying for health care benefits, their contribution, for the employees, then the employees potentially could be without benefits come the end of the mo nth.

And that could be a considerable problem for them and their families.

So, that's something to consider on the longer-term.

>> Particularly if this goes on as protracted.

Bill Dwyer is a negotiations expert with Rutgers University.

Thanks so much.

>> my pleasure.

>> And that is going to do it for us tonight but if you missed our conversation with the Democratic gubernatorial candidates on Monday, you can find it on our website Honj: Spotlight news.org or our YouTube channel.

You can watch the rebroadcast this weekend right here at 6 p.m. Saturday or 10 a.m. Sunday morning.

I am Briana Vannozzi for the entire team at "Nj spotlight news" have a great week in, travel safe.

We will see you right back here on Monday.

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