Passenger Trains > NJ: PEB sides with NJ Transit against BLE-T

A presidential emegency board has sided with NJ Transit against the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers - Teamsters in a dispute over pay for engineers. The union contends its members are among the lowest paid in the industry, and are not paid for the specialized skills required for operations of the complex network.  The membership has been without a new contract since 2019.

The PEB determined that the raise sought by BLE-T would cause serious harm to NJ Transit. While it was sympathetic to the union's argument, there isn't money for the requested increase. They should take the pattern accepted by 14 of the 15 unions on NJT.  The union notes NJT just offered a "fare free holiday" and is spending a half billion dollars on a new executive HQ


More:  https://www.nj.com/news/2024/09/federal-board-backs-nj-transit-in-contract-dispute-with-this-rail-union.html

Does this mean BLE is now blocked from striking or
are they still allowed to engage in a work stoppage?

The article says the PEB suggestions would be the basis for further talks.  While a strike is possible,additional 120 day cooling off periods could be invoked.

The author, Larry Higgs, seems to have good contacts among the brotherhoods.

I thought a PEB's decision was binding?

Is PEB the same thing as Binding Arbitration ? 

DutchDragon Wrote:
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> I thought a PEB's decision was binding?

The President may create an emergency board to investigate and report on a dispute over the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. Under the Railway Labor Act, the President may exercise his discretion to create an emergency board when the labor dispute threatens “substantially to interrupt interstate commerce to a degree such as to deprive any section of the country of essential transportation service.

”Creation of an emergency board delays a strike, lockout or other form of self-help, generally for 60 days. The emergency board has 30 days to issue its report. Generally, emergency boards provide recommendations for settlement of the dispute. After the emergency board reports to the President, the parties to the dispute have another 30 day cooling off period to consider the recommendations of the emergency board and to reach an agreement.

If no agreement is reached at the end of the cooling off period, then the parties may engage in self-help, including strikes, lockouts and unilateral changes in terms and conditions of employment.

https://nmb.gov/NMB_Application/index.php/presidential-emergency-boards/