Over 450 Teamster engineers at NJ Transit have ratified their contract after striking for three days. The engineers are members of the Teamsters-affiliated Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

Members won an immediate, massive wage increase from just over $39 an hour to well over $50 an hour.

The increase was significantly larger than a tentative agreement previously voted down by members two weeks prior to the strike.

NJ Transit engineers have been working without a contract for six years and haven’t received a raise in that time. 

They were forced to launch New Jersey’s largest railroad strike in 40 years in May after NJ Transit refused to meet members’ demands to close the pay gap between NJ Transit engineers and their counterparts at other New York area railroads like Amtrak and LIRR, who drive trains leaving from the same platforms.

Of the 89% of members who voted on the seven-year agreement, 95% voted yes.

The high participation goes to show that members get involved when our union takes militant action and stands up to employers.