CLEVELAND, July 8 — One hundred percent of voting BLET members working for New Jersey Transit (NJT) have voted in favor of withdrawing from service should the union and the railroad fail to reach an agreement to settle their contract dispute under processes set forth in the Railway Labor Act.
On June 22, the BLET mailed strike ballots to over 400 NJT locomotive engineers. Ballots were counted on July 7 and 100 percent of the ballots cast were in favor of a strike should one become necessary to attain the Organization’s bargaining goals.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce said the unanimous vote in favor of a strike is rare, but indicates a clear mandate from BLET members that they are prepared to fight for a fair agreement. “It is unfortunate that NJT continues to insist that its locomotive engineers accept less than the economic pattern established for other passenger rail engineers in the area,” Pierce said. “The 100 percent majority voting in favor of a strike sends a strong, unified message to New Jersey Transit that over four years without a contract is not acceptable to our membership.”
As background, the BLET has been bargaining with NJT for a new contract for locomotive engineers since April 12, 2011. The dispute has been in NMB-sponsored mediation since June 11, 2014. The BLET is currently bargaining in concert with all the other Unions that comprise the New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition, which represents 100 percent of the overall rail union membership on NJT. It was formed in early 2015 after three years of individual bargaining by each union with the commuter rail agency proved unsuccessful.
The National Mediation Board (NMB) released the BLET from mediation with NJT and the BLET formally declined the NMB’s proffer of arbitration on June 12. By law, the NMB must first proffer binding arbitration to the Unions and NJT before it can release the parties from mediation. Once proffered, if either side notifies the NMB that they decline binding arbitration, that starts a 30-day cooling off period that must pass before the Unions or the railroad would have any rights to exercise self-help.
On June 30 the BLET, along with all the other unions in the New Jersey Transit Rail Labor Coalition, filed a request with the NMB for the appointment of a Section 9A Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). Absent action by President Obama on that request, locomotive engineers could walk off the job, or be locked out by NJT, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Thursday, July 16. The requested PEB would delay a strike or lockout by the parties, and would investigate and issue a report and recommendations concerning the dispute.
Additional information will be provided as developments warrant.