NJEA’s officers, President Sean Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Roberson issued this statement regarding the NJ Transit Locomotive Engineers strike:
“We stand in solidarity with the members of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in their fight for economic justice. They have worked for years to achieve a fair contract. After five years without a raise and despite endless efforts to negotiate a contract that respects their role in keeping New Jersey Transit riders safe and that pays a competitive wage that allows them to support their own families, they have made the hard choice to go on strike.
The labor of working people cannot be taken for granted. It must be respected and rewarded. We call on New Jersey Transit to return to the bargaining table and settle this strike immediately by offering the fair, competitive contract that BLET’s members deserve. And we call on our fellow New Jersey residents to stand in solidarity with BLET until they achieve the respect and economic justice they have earned through their service to New Jersey Transit riders.”