NJ Transit May Need to Hike Fares 29 Percent to Pay Workers' Wages

[N6 Limited]

NJ Transit May Need to Hike Fares 29 Percent to Pay Workers' Wages

Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/traffic/transit/New-Jersey-Transit-Union-Contract-Fares-365135031.html#ixzz3xrgpNrZu 
 

 

A labor board created to fix a longtime dispute between New Jersey Transit and its workers says the agency's unionized rail employees should receive a pay raise.

The Presidential Emergency Board decided that NJ Transit should give its train workers an 18 percent pay raise over the next two years, The Record reported.

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The agency told the federal board that the raise plus rising payments for the employee's health care would cost NJ Transit an additional $138 million between now and 2018.

NJ Transit said the contract is not affordable, and that paying the wage increase would require a fare hike of 29 percent if there are no other sources of revenue.

•  

This is the second round of emergency boards that sided with union workers over NJ Transit. The unions asked for similar terms in both rounds, including a pay raise of about 18 percent over seven years.

The agency and its unions have a 60-day "cooling off" period to weigh their options. If neither side is willing to compromise, the unions may strike or NJ Transit can lock out union members from its rail properties under federal law.

Either move could result in a shutdown of NJ Transit trains as early as March 12, which would leave 295,000 people looking for other means of transportation.

 

 

[Lordsaitamaboss]

NJ Transit May Need to Hike Fares 29 Percent to Pay Workers' Wages

 

Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/traffic/transit/New-Jersey-Transit-Union-Contract-Fares-365135031.html#ixzz3xrgpNrZu 

 

NJ transit will have to stand it's ground a fare hike of that magnitude combined with low driving costs will be catastrophic for ridership and downright suicidal. 

[N6 Limited]

I understand employees need to be paid, but for their raises to affect service and fares to the point where it may reduce ridership is counter productive

[BZGuy]

You guys do realize that at this point the railroad crews have been without a contract for the last 6 years?

 

 

If fares have to be subsidized off the back of the employees then there are deep structural problems at NJT. The status quo cannot continue....you already have a number of guys bailing for the LIRR and MNRR. It's gonna be hard to recruit and maintain a competent rail workforce with two railroads close buy with superior contracts.

 

And to add had NJT neogiated in good faith they wouldn't be facing giving the crews a 18% increase over 2 years. They gambled and lost....pay the people.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You guys do realize that at this point the railroad crews have been without a contract for the last 6 years?

 

 

If fares have to be subsidized off the back of the employees then there are deep structural problems at NJT. The status quo cannot continue....you already have a number of guys bailing for the LIRR and MNRR. It's gonna be hard to recruit and maintain a competent rail workforce with two railroads close buy with superior contracts.

 

And to add had NJT neogiated in good faith they wouldn't be facing giving the crews a 18% increase over 2 years. They gambled and lost....pay the people.

I think the whole thing is ridiculous.  NJT is one of the worst transportation agencies around. They constantly jack the prices up and the service is becoming worse and worse.  I really don't understand where the money goes.  Not only that but anytime there is a storm, forget about NJT.  It's like we're right across the river yet they can't function once a snowflake hits the ground. Smh Even with the tax free shopping at the Garden State Plaza, the express bus service is so blah that I'm better off ordering online, eating the tax and any shipping costs.

[BZGuy]

I think the whole thing is ridiculous.  NJT is one of the worst transportation agencies around. They constantly jack the prices up and the service is becoming worse and worse.  I really don't understand where the money goes.  Not only that but anytime there is a storm, forget about NJT.  It's like we're right across the river yet they can't function once a snowflake hits the ground. Smh Even with the tax free shopping at the Garden State Plaza, the express bus service is so blah that I'm better off ordering online, eating the tax and any shipping costs.

I think calling them a bad agency is a bit unfair. While they do have a bunch of issues, the majority of what they deal with is out of their control yet they get blamed. Issues at the Lincoln Tunnel, PABT, the Hudson tunnel and the NE Corridor.

 

And you're the term express bus is a bit different on this side of the river. Just because a line is run with MCIs doesn't mean it's an express line. The 163 to the GSP is a local line that just happens to run MCIs. I've never had any real problems on that line, maybe some lateness here and there but Oradell runs that line pretty reliably.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I think calling them a bad agency is a bit unfair. While they do have a bunch of issues, the majority of what they deal with is out of their control yet they get blamed. Issues at the Lincoln Tunnel, PABT, the Hudson tunnel and the NE Corridor.

 

And you're the term express bus is a bit different on this side of the river. Just because a line is run with MCIs doesn't mean it's an express line. The 163 to the GSP is a local line that just happens to run MCIs. I've never had any real problems on that line, maybe some lateness here and there but Oradell runs that line pretty reliably.

To be clear, my criticism lies with the way things are run at NJ Transit in terms of service, not the employees themselves, as I've had no issues with them at all.  NJ Transit pulls serve as soon a snowflake falls.  It's almost as if transit is secondary for them, and there are people that need their service.  Not only that, but when you consider the cost to use their service and how unreliable it can be, I think calling them a bad agency is warranted.  The other thing about them is even if it isn't their fault, they sure as hell don't do a good job of showing what they are doing to improve service overall and that goes a long way IMO.  The only transportation that is decent in New Jersey is NJ Path.  The rest of it I'd pass on.  I've had quite a few nightmares when going to classical concerts at the NJPAC via NJ Transit.  I can remember a bunch of us going to a classical concert and going through sheer hell trying to get a train from Penn Station in Newark back to Manhattan.  I even had a job offer recently in NJ that I turned down because it would involve using NJ Transit and there was no way I was going to be dependent on them for my daily commute.  I have colleagues who commute from NJ to our office, and it's pure hell for them, not to mention how much they spend for what they get in return.  As much as I complain about the , I'd take the over NJ Transit any day.

 

As for the 163, I view it as a commuter bus from NJ to NY.  I use the bus for business from time to time, but mainly shopping, but I haven't in a while.  I think the line needs more frequent service.  Too crowded for my taste...

[N6 Limited]

To be clear, my criticism lies with the way things are run at NJ Transit in terms of service, not the employees themselves, as I've had no issues with them at all.  NJ Transit pulls serve as soon a snowflake falls.  It's almost as if transit is secondary for them, and there are people that need their service.  Not only that, but when you consider the cost to use their service and how unreliable it can be, I think calling them a bad agency is warranted.  The other thing about them is even if it isn't their fault, they sure as hell don't do a good job of showing what they are doing to improve service overall and that goes a long way IMO.  The only transportation that is decent in New Jersey is NJ Path.  The rest of it I'd pass on.  I've had quite a few nightmares when going to classical concerts at the NJPAC via NJ Transit.  I can remember a bunch of us going to a classical concert and going through sheer hell trying to get a train from Penn Station in Newark back to Manhattan.  I even had a job offer recently in NJ that I turned down because it would involve using NJ Transit and there was no way I was going to be dependent on them for my daily commute.  I have colleagues who commute from NJ to our office, and it's pure hell for them, not to mention how much they spend for what they get in return.  As much as I complain about the , I'd take the over NJ Transit any day.

 

As for the 163, I view it as a commuter bus from NJ to NY.  I use the bus for business from time to time, but mainly shopping, but I haven't in a while.  I think the line needs more frequent service.  Too crowded for my taste...

Interesting you should mention that, I was thinking of moving to NJ

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Interesting you should mention that, I was thinking of moving to NJ

Well if you drive in NJ and don't have to commute to NY it's nice, or better yet, if you live in say Hoboken and commute to NY via the Path train, that's a nice set up, but Hoboken and anywhere that's across the river close to NYC tends to be pricey.  I was quite impressed with how Path has improved since I used it years ago.  New trains that are relatively clean.  No bums, etc., and just about everyone appeared to be upper middle to upper class on the train.  NJ Transit however is another story.  I think service wise it has declined considerably.

[46Dover]

To be clear, my criticism lies with the way things are run at NJ Transit in terms of service, not the employees themselves, as I've had no issues with them at all. NJ Transit pulls serve as soon a snowflake falls. It's almost as if transit is secondary for them, and there are people that need their service. Not only that, but when you consider the cost to use their service and how unreliable it can be, I think calling them a bad agency is warranted. The other thing about them is even if it isn't their fault, they sure as hell don't do a good job of showing what they are doing to improve service overall and that goes a long way IMO. The only transportation that is decent in New Jersey is NJ Path. The rest of it I'd pass on. I've had quite a few nightmares when going to classical concerts at the NJPAC via NJ Transit. I can remember a bunch of us going to a classical concert and going through sheer hell trying to get a train from Penn Station in Newark back to Manhattan. I even had a job offer recently in NJ that I turned down because it would involve using NJ Transit and there was no way I was going to be dependent on them for my daily commute. I have colleagues who commute from NJ to our office, and it's pure hell for them, not to mention how much they spend for what they get in return. As much as I complain about the , I'd take the over NJ Transit any day.

 

As for the 163, I view it as a commuter bus from NJ to NY. I use the bus for business from time to time, but mainly shopping, but I haven't in a while. I think the line needs more frequent service. Too crowded for my taste...

In fairness to your point about the weather, I think someone caught a glimpse of the CT Transit bus that slammed into the power line because of snow issues and said, uh uh, that ain't happening to us, or the fact that they (NJT) themselves have had issues with the weather causing havoc on the buses in the past.

 

As far as the trains: I made a comment on how Metro North went and ran service during the Blizzard of 94 and someone told me that the equipment paid for it afterwards. So I think they're looking at liability and maintenance prevention when they pull service

[Fan Railer]

So Jonas was one snowflake... ok, sure...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

In fairness to your point about the weather, I think someone caught a glimpse of the CT Transit bus that slammed into the power line because of snow issues and said, uh uh, that ain't happening to us, or the fact that they (NJT) themselves have had issues with the weather causing havoc on the buses in the past.

 

As far as the trains: I made a comment on how Metro North went and ran service during the Blizzard of 94 and someone told me that the equipment paid for it afterwards. So I think they're looking at liability and maintenance prevention when they pull service

Well that blizzard of 94 was over 20 years ago, so of course things have changed. I just find it amazing that Metro-North has run service when it's snowing and even when there were ice storms.  I once walked to the Metro-North station when there was ice on the ground, and the trains were running just fine.  I doubt NJT would be able to do such a thing.  I mean seriously, there are parts of NY that get similar weather to NJ, so using weather as an excuse is just lame. 

 

So Jonas was one snowflake... ok, sure...

For NJT any "storm" is a blizzard, so they must shut down everything. 

[Cait Sith]

I think calling them a bad agency is a bit unfair. While they do have a bunch of issues, the majority of what they deal with is out of their control yet they get blamed. Issues at the Lincoln Tunnel, PABT, the Hudson tunnel and the NE Corridor.

 

And you're the term express bus is a bit different on this side of the river. Just because a line is run with MCIs doesn't mean it's an express line. The 163 to the GSP is a local line that just happens to run MCIs. I've never had any real problems on that line, maybe some lateness here and there but Oradell runs that line pretty reliably.

 

Not to mention, you have a governor that constantly dips into NJ Transit funds to fix holes in the state budget, in turn, having NJ Transit cut service in more ways than one, along with fare hikes.

 

Well that blizzard of 94 was over 20 years ago, so of course things have changed. I just find it amazing that Metro-North has run service when it's snowing and even when there were ice storms.  I once walked to the Metro-North station when there was ice on the ground, and the trains were running just fine.  I doubt NJT would be able to do such a thing.  I mean seriously, there are parts of NY that get similar weather to NJ, so using weather as an excuse is just lame. 

 

For NJT any "storm" is a blizzard, so they must shut down everything. 

To be fair, I'm pretty sure they're trying to avoid the nonsense the MTA had to deal with during blizzards and snow storms, especially the infamous 2010 blizzard that had subway and bus riders stranded, especially when the A was stuck out in the middle of the Rockaways. A crapload of people sued the MTA over those events and won. So I would think that NJ Transit is playing the "better safe than sorry" approach.

 

Not to mention, its a 100% state agency that spans from New York to Philadelphia, so they have a lot of ground to cover.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Not to mention, you have a governor that constantly dips into NJ Transit funds to fix holes in the state budget, in turn, having NJ Transit cut service in more ways than one, along with fare hikes.

I'll agree with you on that end.

[mfs NJT459]

A strike could happen on March 12, sources say

http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2016/02/strike_date_set_for_nj_transit_rail_unions_sources_say.html

[mfs NJT459]

When the strike happens, bus service will be enhanced on bus routes in close proximity to rail stations to NYC, as well as the 554 for the AC line

156R, 158, 159R will not operate to NYC, instead terminate at Weehawken for the ferry

According to an emergency bid, TMS from Silver Spring, MD will operate some Park/Ride shuttle bus service

Details: http://www.njtransit.com/tm/tm_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=PressReleaseTo&PRESS_RELEASE_ID=3035

[Silk City Transit]

Wow, yeah... I'm really kind of baffled by their plan for the 126.  Run it backwards and dump thousands of more people onto a PATH system already busting at the seams.  Sounds legit.

[BreeddekalbL]

Good News Strike is off!