The union for NJ Transit's engineers walked off the job starting Friday over pay disputes, and the strike means that the country's third largest rail service has come to a grinding halt. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop joined "Forbes Newsroom" to react to the news.
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00:00Hi everybody I'm Brittany Lewis, a breaking news reporter here at Forbes. Joining me now is Jersey
00:07City Mayor Steve Fulop. Mayor thank you so much for joining me. Thanks for having me. I see that
00:14you're in a car right now and I think that's really indicative to what we're talking about
00:18today because it is not a good day to be a commuter if you are in New Jersey. The Union
00:23for NJ Transits Engineers, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, walked off
00:28the job on Friday over pay disputes and this strike means that the country's third largest
00:33rail service came to a grinding halt as of today. So to start off the conversation I mean what is
00:39your reaction to what has happened in NJ Transit? Well let me just say that I think it's an example
00:46of how transportation is broken in New Jersey. I mean we had the airport issues over the last couple
00:51weeks and now it just adds to it but it puts a tremendous strain on the entire state but you
00:58know here in Jersey City I mean people may not realize that when you have buses coming from Morris
01:02County and bringing commuters to take the path system here in Jersey City the path system is
01:08already at capacity so it doesn't have a lot more space where you could handle all these New Jersey
01:13transit riders. So it's a major issue and we really need a resolution soon and I think there's validity to
01:18the argument that people should be compensated based on their peers in Long Island or Connecticut
01:23or Pennsylvania. And for those who don't know I am in Jersey City right now. I work in Jersey City
01:30that's where the Forbes studio is. The path is essentially the subway to get from New Jersey and
01:36then into Manhattan and so that is not affected but all of NJ Transit is and I want to talk about what
01:44Governor Murphy has said about this. He said he wants the union to come back to the negotiating table
01:48in good faith. Our doors are open. They will remain open. And he also said that it did not have to
01:53come to this and that in March NJ Transit's president Chris Clory and Blett reps they are um Blett is the
02:00union that is striking. They essentially shook hands on a deal and then he said this quote but now just a
02:05couple of months later a small handful of locomotive engineers have walked off of the job and shut down
02:11our entire transit system. He called this a mess of his own of their own making meaning the unions
02:16and it is a slap in the face of every commuter and worker who relies on NJ Transit. What do you
02:21make of how Governor Murphy has handled the situation so far? Look I think these people have
02:27been without a contract for five years. So I hear what Governor Murphy is saying that a strike was
02:34unnecessary at this moment in time but both sides have had five years to resolve this and it shouldn't
02:39get to this sort of situation. So um look uh we need a resolution. We can't have the governor being
02:46passive waiting for Blett to come back. I think they need to get back in a room and the reality of the
02:51situation is that it's an expensive place to live New Jersey and compensating people fairly relative to
02:56their peer group is really important. And this was not out of the blue. This was a real possibility that
03:02this strike was going to happen. People have been preparing for it for a few days. What do you think
03:07Governor Murphy should have done? Because as you said New Jersey uh commuters really rely on NJ Transit
03:13to get in and out of the city to get in and around this state. I mean what should have been done here?
03:18So today I mean the what's on NJ Transit's website and what Governor Murphy echoed is if you can stay
03:24home stay home don't commute work from home. I mean what more should have been done here?
03:30Okay I think the reality is that you need to get more revenue into New Jersey Transit. So
03:34the state had an opportunity to work with New York on congestion pricing and we ended up passing on
03:41that. That was a hundred million dollars plus that could have gone to New Jersey. I think you had
03:45opportunities around the uh corporate business tax that was implemented last year. Missed opportunity.
03:51So the reality of the situation is I hear you or the governor but I think that this is resolvable
03:58and shouldn't have gotten here after five years of not having a contract.
04:01And this has the potential to impact 350,000 commuters. You're the mayor of Jersey City and
04:09where Jersey City is it is right across the river from Manhattan. People are commuting like myself
04:14in and out of Jersey City to go to work. What are you doing right now to ensure that the least amount
04:20of commuters are affected as possible so that people's commutes are seamless in and out of Jersey City
04:25in and around the state and back and forth from work? I mean look we have a micro transit system
04:31here that's unaffiliated with New Jersey Transit. So we're going to expand the ridership around that
04:35of where they can go. So helping people that are leaving Jersey City for other parts of New Jersey
04:40for their occupation. And then secondly we're going to do our best to manage buses that are coming in
04:45from elsewhere in the state. Commuter buses that are dropping people at the pass system. That's part of
04:49New Jersey Transit plan. But the pass system again being the subway that goes across to New York. But
04:54that system if you are in it in the morning it is close to capacity. So it is very very difficult
04:59to manage and hopefully we get a resolution soon. And Governor Murphy has wanted to deal with NJ
05:05Transit. Has wanted to have a transportation solution for his entire tenure as governor. I mean
05:11you're running for governor. What do you make of how he's handled transportation in New Jersey
05:16and what would you do differently? He's done a lot of good things and some mediocre things. I think
05:23that New Jersey Transit isn't a highlight of his tenure. And there's a lot of things that could
05:29have been done and that still should be done by the next governor. Number one is you need a dedicated
05:33revenue source. I said congestion pricing is the opportunity to work with New York around that.
05:39I think there's some infrastructure improvements that need to be done. The privatization of the buses.
05:43I mean there's a lot of work to do on New Jersey Transit but it starts with getting more money
05:48dedicated to the system and just New Jersey hasn't done a good job around that. And how would you deal
05:53with the union? Let's say you're governor. Where's the compromise to make the union feel like they're
05:58being paid fairly? They're being paid adequately for their work but also not putting this extra burden
06:03on the commuter, raising prices, that type of thing? Well look I think that I'm not in the room
06:11today so I can't speak to all of that but I think there is validity to being compensated in the
06:17region at a similar situation. It doesn't have to be identical to the Long Island Railroad but
06:22there is an argument and merit to the conversation around it's an expensive place to live in Long
06:26Island or New York and New Jersey is very similar to that. And so I think that that starting point
06:31should be something that's contemplated. The difference is very large today and I think
06:36that's the crux of the argument. So you need more money into the system but you do need to be able
06:40to attract new employees and you do that by having good pay packages and benefits. There's a few
06:46concerts that people are really concerned about that they're not going to be able to get to. Shakira,
06:51Beyonce, people are also concerned obviously getting in and out of the city, getting in and around the
06:56state, going to work. What are your constituents saying? I mean how much is this impacting their everyday
07:01life? Look, I think today was the first day and people are trying to work from home. I think if
07:08this extends to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday it's going to be a totally different animal and you'll
07:13see a lot more anger and rage at the government both sides if it continues. So today was the first day.
07:20I think people are frustrated but understand. I think if it goes through the weekend and continues
07:25Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday you're going to have a different type of sentiment in New Jersey.
07:28And I mean I don't need to tell you you're in New Jersey. You understand just how much people rely
07:34on NJ Transit. I mean Governor Murphy says he wants that the unions come to the table. Is there
07:40talks? Do you know anything about them trying to come to a compromise anytime soon? I mean does it
07:46look like these are at a total standstill? Come Monday are you expecting commuters to have to find an
07:51alternate route? Yeah on that front I can't really comment on it so I couldn't tell you where they are in the
07:57conversation. Like I said I mean I think we all hope that both sides are proactive over the next
08:02couple days and get something done before Monday because if it extends to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
08:06it's going to be a problem. And Mayor do you have any advice for your constituents, for the people of
08:11New Jersey, specifically in Jersey City too? Look I think that the governor said it right. You know
08:18hopefully today people work from home and hopefully the governor gets to work over the next couple
08:25days and resolves this and we go from there. Mayor Steve Fulop thank you so much for joining me.
08:30You're welcome back anytime. Thank you so much. Have a great day.