Transport Workers Union of America members at Local 2001 working for New Jersey Transit voted to ratify a new three-year contract that includes pay raises and additional time off. The new contract was ratified with 80 percent of votes in favor for the unit representing 180 Car Inspectors, Car Mechanics and Coach Cleaners.
The new contract, negotiated by Local 2001 President Patrick Howard, Vice President Patrick Flannery and Secretary-Treasurer Brian Corallo with assistance from TWU Rail Division Director John Feltz, includes three percent pay raises for three years, Veterans Day as a paid holiday and one additional paid sick day, bringing the total number of paid sick days to six.
The three-year contract comes into effect on July 1, the day after the current agreement expires. The contract also does not include any givebacks to New Jersey Transit, ensuring that previously won improvements to pay and benefits stay in place.
The agreement with New Jersey Transit comes as New York’s MTA is attacking blue-collar Metro-North commuter rail workers. New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s MTA is proposing an increase of healthcare costs for workers, taking away one vacation day, eliminating one personal day and cutting multiple paid sick days, eliminating paid meal periods and outsourcing union work to private contractors.
“The TWU is proud to secure an agreement that improves the lives of workers at New Jersey Transit,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “Kathy Hochul and the MTA should drop their ridiculous demands and agree to a contract that betters the lives of hardworking, blue-collar Metro-North workers.”
“I want to congratulate Local 2001 for negotiating a new contract that betters the quality of life for our hardworking New Jersey Transit workers and their families,” said Rail Division Director John Feltz.