On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) and NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri held a press conference to address the NJ Transit rail strike.
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00:00Hey, greetings, everybody, and thank you again on short notice, as many of you did last night, for joining us today at the Aberdeen-Madawan train station.
00:11Normally, you know, I'd start a press conference like this one by saying good morning,
00:16but for families and commuters here in Monmouth County and, frankly, all across New Jersey, this morning is anything but a good morning.
00:25Their days are off to an unnecessarily difficult start.
00:30We're now roughly 10 hours into New Jersey's first rail strike in decades, and I want to make sure we get one thing straight up front.
00:40It did not have to come to this.
00:43Here with me this morning, as he was last night, is the outstanding president and CEO of NJ Transit, Chris Collori.
00:49He and his team, many of whom are here with us this morning, along with our entire administration, again, many of them represented this morning,
00:57have been working around the clock, frankly, for months to avoid the strike.
01:03And now they are continuing to work around the clock to rearrange our state's entire transportation system
01:09so it can, to the best of our abilities, meet the needs of New Jerseyans.
01:14And I will ask Chris to elaborate on those details in just a few minutes.
01:19At this moment, our single highest priority, in addition to making the system work,
01:26just as it has been for the past several months, is reaching a fair and affordable deal as soon as humanly possible,
01:34a deal that provides NJ Transit's employees, including our locomotive engineers, the wages and benefits they deserve,
01:43without being forced to raise costs on riders, commuters, and taxpayers.
01:50As I said last night, here in New Jersey, we are proud to be the quintessential organized labor state.
01:57As Chris will attest to, 14 of the 15 unions with which NJ Transit engages are in complete harmony.
02:06NJ Transit's employees are the backbone of our public transit system.
02:12But the workers who depend on NJ Transit are the backbone of our entire economy.
02:18They deserve a public transit system that is reliable and affordable, period.
02:24So in our efforts to balance fairness on the one hand with affordability on the other,
02:30back in March, Chris and the BLETS representatives shook hands on a contract that would pay engineers
02:38roughly the same hourly wage, literally give or take 10 cents per hour, as engineers with the Long Island Railroad.
02:48In other words, it would have given their members almost exactly what they have asked for,
02:53being paid the same wage as engineers at other transit systems in our region.
02:59And crucially, that contract would have provided our engineers their hard-earned raises
03:05without blowing up NJ Transit's budget.
03:09At the time, BLETS General Chairman Thomas Haas called the contract that was agreed upon,
03:15and I quote him, fair and fiscally responsible, end of quote.
03:21But now, just a couple of months later, a small handful of locomotive engineers have walked off the job
03:27and shut down our entire transit system.
03:30I think Chris will correct me if I've got the math wrong.
03:33We're talking just under 400 engineers in a total workforce of about 12,000.
03:40It is frankly a mess of their own making,
03:44and it is a slap in the face of every commuter and worker who relies on NJ Transit.
03:50But we're not here this morning to point fingers.
03:53We are here to demonstrate that our administration remains ready to get NJ Transit back to full speed
04:00and to provide the BLETS members their hard-earned raises.
04:06Of course, no deal under these circumstances, or probably any other, is ever going to be perfect.
04:12The fact is, mass transit systems across the country face a sobering fiscal reality,
04:18in part due to threats to federal funding, and those threats and those realities cannot be ignored.
04:26I mentioned last night SEPTA across the Delaware River,
04:30threatening to cut services by 45 percent and at the same time increase fares by 20 percent.
04:37That will not ever be the case here in New Jersey.
04:41And putting NJ Transit on stable fiscal footing,
04:44as we have worked relentlessly to do for the past now seven and a half years,
04:50requires tough calls and compromises from all of us,
04:55lawmakers, workers, employers, businesses, and especially our commuters and taxpayers.
05:05Witness last year's painful corporate transit fee,
05:10and I might add that is in sharp contrast.
05:13We dealt within the four walls of New Jersey with a very challenging fiscal reality
05:18that, again, is not unique to New Jersey, but we're also not immune.
05:23As in contrast to the MTA's answer, which is to rip off New Jersey commuters going into Manhattan,
05:32we chose to solve that challenge within our four walls, and we will this one as well.
05:39But I, for one, refuse to pass the buck or increase taxes on hardworking New Jerseyans
05:46for the same or even more likely reduced service.
05:50That's not going to happen. That is untenable.
05:53And the truth is we can deliver a fair contract to every New Jersey transit employee
05:59without abandoning our hardworking neighbors.
06:03And let me be clear, this is also about reaching a solution that sets the next administration up for success.
06:11The contract being negotiated at this moment is about the long-term future of NJ Transit
06:18well after I leave office.
06:20Literally a tiny fraction of any deal that we reach will impact our remaining eight months.
06:27And the easy play for Chris and for me is to just cave, fold, and kick this thing down the road.
06:35And we're not doing that.
06:37So we're holding the line for the next governor and the next administration
06:41so they do not inherit an NJ Transit that is on the brink of fiscal collapse
06:47but is in fact in a strong state of health.
06:51That is what it means to fix NJ Transit, leaving the agency in better shape in every respect,
06:58but especially in fiscal terms than when we entered office.
07:03I was asked last night if I still stuck by my statement, we'll fix NJ Transit if it kills me.
07:11And the fact of the matter is, I apologize, facts matter here.
07:15That's exactly what we've been doing for the past seven-plus years
07:18and especially over the past five or six months since Chris has been at the helm.
07:24The stance that we're taking to get a fair deal for our workers
07:28and not blow up NJ Transit's finances is exactly a central tenet in fixing NJ Transit.
07:36If you look at our on-time performance, I should have put an asterisk on my commitment,
07:41but for the fact of what Amtrak is up to, if you look at on-time performance over the past 16 months,
07:47especially on the recent months on the non-Amtrak lines, it's mid to high 90 percent.
07:54Even on the Amtrak lines, it is regularly in the mid to upper 80 percent.
08:00We mentioned last night, I think the board approved 250 new double-level, two-level rail cars this week.
08:09That brings the total to 400.
08:11We'll have an entirely new fleet when all of that comes into fruition.
08:16We'll have a new locomotive fleet.
08:18I think you guys approved the board 12 this week, 12 new locomotives.
08:22We've got new train stations in Lyndhurst, Elizabeth.
08:26The Portal North Bridge is nearing completion.
08:29Many other stations.
08:31The facts, I apologize, let's not let the facts get in the way.
08:35We've had bumps in the road.
08:36Last summer, particularly last June, was unacceptable.
08:40This is a bump in the road.
08:41Chris will walk you through how we're dealing with it.
08:45But the trajectory is undeniable.
08:49And, again, I wish Amtrak could punch at their weight, and the trajectory would be even more compelling.
08:56So back to today.
08:57What the people of New Jersey need right now is for the members of the blet to step up and meet their obligations to the public.
09:05Let's end this strike, as we just said to a couple of their good members a few minutes ago.
09:11Our doors are open.
09:13We are ready to restart negotiations literally this second.
09:17But we need the blet to come back to the negotiating table in good faith.
09:22Our doors are open.
09:23They will remain open.
09:25I thank you for coming out on short notice.
09:28Please help me welcome the president and CEO of NJ Transit, Chris Calori.
09:32Chris.
09:34Governor, thank you for your continued leadership.
09:38And I know this moment of a strike is what any one of us wanted to see.
09:47But that is where we find ourselves.
09:50But I want to sort of frame today's discussion, picking up on where the governor left off, on a couple of points.
09:57One, when the strike did effect last night at 12.01, we worked very methodically to put the railroad to bed,
10:07use the railroad language, to make sure every train car that we had safely got to its destination,
10:15customers were let out, and the train cars were parked in yards where they're supposed to be.
10:21This morning, we also ensured not only that our customers had real-time information by having people at train stations
10:30who can answer the questions of customers, but to also make sure our bus lines that are now fully operational
10:37are picking up passengers where they need to be on time and move them efficiently.
10:44There are a couple lines where we have seen some overcrowding, not to a point where people have been standing in lines,
10:52but we have been able to resource those lines properly to make sure, again, we handle the volume that is out there.
11:00That is important because this goes to a bit of what the governor talked about.
11:05He said from the very beginning, he hopes for the best, but what?
11:09That we're planning for the worst.
11:11That is what we're doing, and we intend to do it.
11:14Our promise to our customers is we understand this is not where you want it to be either,
11:21but my job at the governor's direction is to make sure we solve problems as they appear.
11:29That is my commitment, and we will do that today.
11:33We'll do that tonight.
11:34We'll do that every day the union decides to be on strike.
11:39That is our commitment.
11:41Second, I want to pivot to this issue the governor talked about, which is very, very important,
11:47and let me try to contextualize it this way.
11:49Just a couple of weeks ago, a national newspaper said that transit agencies around the country are in a financial death spiral.
12:01These are their words.
12:02It was in the headline.
12:04What does that mean?
12:06Almost every transit agency in this region, you don't even have to go far away to the West Coast, but you can,
12:13what you'll find uniformly is every transit agency, not just SEPTA, but MTA,
12:19MTA has a $400 million deficit this year and next year.
12:24SEPTA, the governor mentioned, have massive financial problems because of some of these bad practices
12:34that go back years, if not decades.
12:38We, for the first time in 45 years, thanks to the governor and the legislature,
12:44first time in 45 years, we are finally on stable financial footing.
12:51That has never happened before.
12:53Just when we are in a position to say we have put this agency on a course towards fiscal stability,
13:01we now are confronted with this existential problem, which is what?
13:07Which is the unions are saying, give us a fair deal, that sounds about right, no matter what the cost.
13:14Well, that second part is where we're all hung up on.
13:18This is not about not giving them a fair wage, it's about how do you do it in a fiscally responsible manner
13:25that doesn't bankrupt New Jersey Transit and puts it on a debt spiral, like every other mass transit agency.
13:34That's the governor's only objective, and that's my only objective.
13:37He would be politically expedient, easy almost, for us to say, let somebody else handle the problem.
13:44But he made the hard decision in this budget, the previous budgets, to say we're not doing what other folks have done.
13:52That's what this is all about.
13:54We, the governor, and I just had a chance to meet with the locomotive engineers who are out there just a few minutes ago.
14:00They were gracious to us.
14:02You know what they said to us?
14:03They want to get back to work.
14:05That's great.
14:06We want them to get back to work, too.
14:08But we said to them, we want to get back to the work, but we want to make sure you continue to work,
14:14because what's the point in giving you a pay raise if a couple of years from now your job is not going to exist?
14:20That's sort of what we're talking about in the most plain and simple terms.
14:24So we are committed, and I want to say this to you.
14:29When the governor gave me this opportunity, which is a privilege, that's five months ago, first call,
14:36the first call I made was to Tommy Haas, the chairman of the BLAT.
14:41I called him.
14:42And I called him because I knew how important this issue is for us to address and fix,
14:48because they've been fighting for this for no less than five years.
14:54Governor Murphy said to me, your first priority is to get this done.
14:59So we did it.
15:00And, in fact, we got a deal done.
15:03They voted it down, their choice.
15:05But what I'm saying to you is this doesn't have to be rocket science.
15:09We can get there.
15:10We can get a deal done.
15:11We can get a deal done that is fair to them and fiscally responsible to us.
15:15That's all we're trying to do.
15:17I will never leave the negotiating table.
15:19I've never left the negotiating table.
15:21In fact, when we ended last night, we ended on a very conciliatory note, despite what's being said out there,
15:28that we're going to get back together when we have something to put across each other.
15:33And I'm waiting for them to do just that.
15:35So I want you to know we are going to handle the strike from our standpoint very methodically, calmly,
15:43and address the problems as they come up.
15:46At the same time, at the governor's very deep involvement in these negotiations,
15:52we're going to get to a solution that is fair and fiscally responsible.
15:56That is the game plan.
15:58There's nothing else to it.
16:00Thank you, Governor.
16:01Thank you, Chris.
16:02Just to add to Chris's point, remember, and Chris went through this last night, we not only have buses,
16:08we have the PATH, we have ferries, we have light rail, all of which are being deployed aggressively.
16:16Secondly, and Chris Lilly left the press conference last night with a bunch of his colleagues and went out to MetLife.
16:22I think it's fair to say both the incoming and outbound traffic at the Shakira concert last night went really well.
16:29We're hoping for a similar experience tonight.
16:31She's got Pitbull with her tonight, for those of you watching out there, otherwise known as Armando.
16:38And just one question for you.
16:39You mentioned the National Board last night and Sunday morning.
16:42Any color on that before we take questions?
16:44Thank you, Governor.
16:45Sorry.
16:46So last Monday, the National Mediation Board asked us to come to Washington, to both parties, and to make sure we do a meeting.
16:55And we did.
16:56And that sort of kicked off a whole round of negotiations that went until late last night.
17:00They have now asked us to come back again on Sunday.
17:03We're going to do just that to make sure we do it.
17:05But I just want to be clear.
17:07I don't have to wait till Sunday.
17:09I actually saw Mark Wallace, the president of the BLAT, this morning at Penn Station.
17:14He was walking and I was walking.
17:16And we spent a few seconds talking, very polite, very normal conversation, about how we're going to try to solve this problem together.
17:23So I want to convey this message that there isn't this acrimony that somehow gets projected in the media.
17:32When we are in the room together, we understand our mission.
17:35And I'm telling you right now, I am fully committed, at Governor Murphy's direction, to get this deal done.
17:42But it has to be fair to them.
17:44But it has to be fiscally responsible.
17:47Well said.
17:48One other question.
17:49I'm doing the first two questions here.
17:52You all can channel them through me.
17:56Any comment about other unions within NJ Transit in terms of their posture and profile today, if you don't mind?
18:05I'll say that we have said to any union member at New Jersey Transit, if they want to come to work, we welcome them to come to work.
18:16And they have been coming to work.
18:18And they are doing the stuff they are supposed to be doing.
18:21And that shows a sense of their commitment to New Jersey Transit's mission.
18:26And I think that should be applauded.
18:28This isn't something to be vilified for.
18:31And we appreciate it.
18:32And we'll continue to work.
18:33And I want to emphasize what the Governor said.
18:36The men outside in orange shirts, not transit men, but the other men, the locomotive engineers, want to get back to work.
18:43And we want them to get back to work.
18:46Because ultimately, we want the 350,000 daily riders to be able to use the mass transit system that they rely on.
18:54Like any labor action like this, not only is it a real burden and challenge for our commuters,
19:00it ultimately is a burden and challenge for those guys out there and their families.
19:06So it's in all of our interests to get to a resolution here.
19:11And we are wide open for business to do that.
19:14Again, it's got to meet those two objectives, fair to them and fiscally responsible for us.
19:21We believe that a deal is there.
19:24And God willing, that will come to fruition.
19:27With that, we'll take a couple of quick questions.
19:29Brenda?
19:31It is Brenda.
20:08I'll let Chris address that.
20:10That's a very good question, and we did hit it last night, but we should hit it again this morning.
20:14The difference between getting this right and wrong, I mentioned this in passing last night,
20:20is a difference between single-digit to low-double-digit millions of dollars on the one hand versus nine-digit millions of dollars on the other hand.
20:34The former is within our purview.
20:37Within Chris's and my purview to be able to handle.
20:41The latter is in the category of blowing up our fiscal reality at NJ Transit, which we cannot allow to happen.
20:48Chris, do you mind addressing?
20:50Yes, sir.
20:51I think, let me try to frame it this way.
20:53These are incredibly complex agreements, right?
20:57If the structure of the agreement is focused on locomotive engineers and things that they want to change in work rules,
21:07and they want to give back in work rule savings, then it becomes a locomotive engineer contract.
21:13If it looks and feels like it's anything other than that, this is, somebody asked me,
21:19are these so-called Me Too clauses consistent in every union contract?
21:24The answer is yes.
21:26This isn't just a unique thing for NJ Transit.
21:29So all we're trying to do is solve for this very important issue of wages that the union has asked for,
21:38but the foundation that the governor talked about, fair and fiscally responsible,
21:43is grounded in the structure of the contract as well.
21:48Because we have to make sure all the concessions we're asking for are locomotive engineer concessions,
21:56and all the changes we're producing that will give them this increase are locomotive-specific wage increases, if that makes sense.
22:14Okay, we've got to get a different title for this category here.
22:19I want to get that off my chest here.
22:40I'm going to hand this one to Chris.
22:41Yes, sir.
22:43If done incorrectly, or done correctly, it doesn't matter, forget intent for one second.
22:49Every union, regardless, by the way, of NJ Transit or not, this happens at the turnpike, this happens at firemen,
22:55this happens at police, this happens at teachers, in general, that's my understanding,
23:00there is what is called a side letter that basically informs a process by which it triggers this clause.
23:09And what I am suggesting is, and it is not, think about it from a union's perspective
23:15and why they would need a letter like that.
23:18If they were first in the door and they made a deal, and a few months later,
23:24somebody else comes in the door and makes another deal that looks and feels a lot richer
23:29for doing basically the same things that these folks are doing, it's meant to protect them.
23:33So think about it that way.
23:35So it was meant to bring some level of equity, fairness, and parity for going first, if you will.
23:44So all we're saying is if our intent is to solve this union's very specific sort of ask,
23:56we've said to them, let's put stuff on the table, concessions, if you will, that are very specific to you,
24:02and let's change work rules that are very specific to you.
24:07So forget all the other unions.
24:09We are focused on this union.
24:11That's where the governor's point about this could be in the multimillion dollar from a wage race.
24:17So they're not wrong about that.
24:19But what you can't do is sort of be a little careless because all you care about is getting to a number,
24:25which is what the union's position is at the moment,
24:28and not worrying about what the consequences could be for the state in the out years, which is what we can't do.
24:33It's that straightforward.
24:35By the way, I'll just repeat, the easy play for this guy and myself is to just sign up for something
24:41and not worry about what's going to happen after January 20th of next year.
24:45We're not going to do that.
24:46We know the shape of this system that we inherited.
24:49We will not do that to the next administration.
24:52Please.
24:57Not a lot, by the way, which is good.
24:59So in South Orange and in Central Jersey, when I say bus lines,
25:03I'm talking about a couple of buses doing a couple of periods during the morning.
25:07But what we were able to do is resource them to make sure the people who are there are handled and put on the buses.
25:15But the most important thing you need to know is there were no lines waiting to get on the bus.
25:20It was just we saw we have very good technology on our buses where we're able to measure what's going on
25:26on regular demand versus current demand and be able to sort of handle our demand management of the fleet, if you will.
25:37No.
25:38Look, I mean, the governor, with his approval, we just made a deal with the 5,500 members of the bus union last week,
25:45and they stuck with pattern, and they are very, very happy.
25:49So we have a tentative agreement with them.
25:51I don't think we're aware of anybody outside of the engineers not showing up today.
25:55Is that fair?
25:56Well, yeah, broadly.
25:57Broadly speaking, at least.
25:58Please.
26:14Let me start with the last part, and then Chris will give you the details.
26:17Friday is clearly the easiest weekday of the five, notwithstanding MetLife's activities,
26:24which makes it a significant, both last night and tonight, a significant lift.
26:31We're very much well aware of that.
26:33Frankly, if this had to happen, having it happen at 12-01 on Friday, I think it's fair to say, Chris,
26:40gives you and your colleagues a chance to suss out what's working, what's not working,
26:45where we need to plus up resources, et cetera, on a day that will be lighter than Monday for sure,
26:51and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday continue to be our big commute days.
26:55Any other color you want to throw?
26:58Let me answer it this way.
27:00I think some bus lines are crowded even during regular non-strike days, right?
27:08So what I'm suggesting to you is when we identify a few instances on one or two of our bus lines,
27:16we were able to adapt very quickly to solve for that problem,
27:20which is sort of the central theme of how we're managing the strike,
27:25which is very calmly, methodically identify a problem and solve for it when it happens,
27:32which is how good organizations do business.
27:35There is no, I have to say, and this is a big shout out to Chris and his team, there's no sense of panic.
27:42This is a professional operation.
27:45We did not want to see this day come, but they were prepared for it,
27:50and I have to say I'm incredibly impressed by their efforts so far.
27:58I think I can answer for Chris and his team to say they're going to,
28:02we're going to war game what happened this morning and this afternoon,
28:05probably tonight as well because we have, I hope it doesn't get out that far,
28:09but we've got Beyonce coming in for five nights beginning next week.
28:13I'm sure there will be lessons learned that will be applied.
28:16Please.
28:33I'll let Chris, I didn't see Sean's comment.
28:35By the way, Sean's a Boston boy, bless his heart.
28:40Didn't these guys leave the Teamsters?
28:44The New Jersey guys.
28:45Okay, that's a separate, I have to ask Sean what his thoughts are on that.
28:51The tone in the room is exactly what you would expect it would be.
28:54Chris will give you color, but this is a professional,
28:57the fact that we're not agreeing doesn't mean that we're throwing chairs at each other.
29:02To the contrary, we just are at an impasse.
29:05You should probably add to that.
29:07I've now met with the general chairman over the 120 days I've been in this job,
29:14maybe like 10 of those 120 days, 10 weeks out of those 120 days, one way or the other,
29:19and I've gotten to know the new president, national president.
29:22Look, what I'm trying to convey is I understand that people have to say certain things in the public.
29:31I respect that.
29:32But what I'm saying to you is my approach always has been to try and sort of understand their position
29:39and try to get to a solution.
29:41And I think ultimately that is the only objective.
29:45So I like to think of a relatively thick skin, so they can call me whatever they want,
29:50but in the end the question is do they want a deal or not?
29:53I want it.
29:54Do they want it?
29:55This is the nature of the beast.
29:56If you looked at what folks across the aisle would have said about me
30:01and then if you were to look at our private deliberations and negotiations, it's life.
30:07It's life.
30:08We all know that that's the way it works.
30:10A couple other quickies.
30:11Where are you?
30:12Where are you?
30:13I'm out here.
30:14Hi.
30:15Good morning.
30:16Did we not reserve you a seat or what?
30:17No, I stopped.
30:18Okay.
30:19Yes, good morning.
30:21I'll let Chris respond to the details, but we've been at that table in good faith
30:40and we've said, including last night at Newark Penn, we reiterated this morning, we're here.
30:45We're open for business.
30:47We want to get this solved.
30:49So this notion of walking away is not accurate.
30:54You also have to accept when you think there's an impasse that can't be bridged,
30:58and I think it's fair to say, Chris, we were a lot further along on the fairness to them parameter
31:04than we were with something that we could accept in terms of fiscal responsibility,
31:09and that is a deal breaker for us.
31:12I wish it weren't, but it is.
31:14I'll just say there hasn't been anyone in their relationship with New Jersey Transit
31:21who has been more willing to negotiate than me.
31:24In fact, I don't need to just say it.
31:26The proof is in the pudding.
31:27I've already done it once.
31:29I was the first guy to reach out to them the first time around.
31:32I was the first guy to reach out to them the second time.
31:34I think the only reason why we came to the decision we did together, I might add,
31:41because I ended the meeting by saying the follows.
31:44You have put forward a proposal that seems fair to you,
31:48but it doesn't solve our fundamental issue of fiscal responsibleness.
31:52Here's our counter.
31:54To which they said, well, that doesn't meet what we think is right.
31:58And I said, why don't we do this?
32:00You take time to think about it.
32:01We'll take time to think about it.
32:03And then we'll continue talking to reach a solution,
32:05and that's when the National Mediation Board,
32:07which was present the entire time for all three days, said,
32:12why don't we all gather on Sunday?
32:14So that doesn't sound to me like I left in a huff and a puff.
32:18It just sounds like doing what reasonable people do after almost 11 hours of negotiating,
32:24saying you're out of position, that's not tenable to us,
32:27you still don't seem to agree with where we are,
32:30but we are making progress and we'll get there.
32:39Well, that's the beauty about these negotiations, right?
32:42Just because they say it and just because I say it doesn't mean there's not a deal in there.
32:46This is not ‑‑ I'm sorry, I know this is complex, but the job is complex,
32:53but the outcome doesn't have to be.
32:56It's as simple as what the governor laid out.
32:59These two principles and the structure that we're talking about together.
33:03By the way, this doesn't mean they have to accept all our ideas
33:06or they have to accept all our ideas.
33:08We've had three days of extraordinarily productive discussions.
33:12And I'll say this to you.
33:14If you sort of look at this contract as a 100% deal, we're 95% there.
33:19So this isn't ‑‑ the reason I continue to be optimistic that we can get there
33:26is this is about solving for their problem and our need.
33:30That's it.
33:31And we'll get there.
33:33One or two more, please.
33:41Said it last night as well, yes.
33:57Sure.
33:58I think Chris will respond to it, but please.
34:00Sure.
34:01Look, let me not debate the numbers they put on the table and I put on the table.
34:06Let me just sort of answer it maybe a little bit broadly, okay?
34:10They started this discussion by saying we're not getting paid enough.
34:14Fair point.
34:15And they said we're making $10 less than everybody else in this region.
34:20Fair enough.
34:21So when those are the sort of two principle issues and you solve for it,
34:28then it doesn't matter whether it is a metric that helds today or tomorrow morning.
34:33They wanted a number that we, I thought, got very close to in our negotiations,
34:39their number.
34:40And I still think we can get there.
34:42So I could, but I'm not going to.
34:47But I'll give you one example.
34:49Do you know the Metro North engineer, a trainee,
34:55takes eight years to make the salary that a New Jersey transit engineer makes in two years?
35:02Why is that?
35:04Because it takes a trainee at Metro North to go through what is called a progressive wage for eight years.
35:11Not so at New Jersey Transit.
35:13Do you know why?
35:14Because the day they're hired, they train for the number of years, just two roughly.
35:20At the end of two years, they make full wage.
35:23Full wage.
35:24So there is no progression.
35:26So I could say, but I don't say it at the table, but I want to give you an example.
35:30I could say, wait, that's not fair.
35:32So why are you demanding a wage in year two that is higher than what Metro North makes until year eight?
35:42I don't do it.
35:43Do you know why?
35:44Because it is not a productive point.
35:47We need to focus on what it is they're trying to achieve and what we have to achieve.
35:52That's it.
35:53That's how you get to a deal.
35:55And I'm telling you, as long as we're focused on those two principles, we can get there.
36:01I think we're going to fold the tent real quick.
36:16I had the same reaction as I had with Mayor Baraka, even more so in this case,
36:21because as a member of Congress, unless our lawyers tell me I've got my constitutional facts wrong,
36:26they have an absolute right to inspect any facility like that.
36:32So I've seen the same rumors.
36:34I've got no comment on the specifics.
36:36But LaMonica, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez have absolute rights to inspect those facilities.
36:45And if that goes ahead, I think it's just as I said about Roz Baraka, outrageous.
36:49Thank you all.
36:50Stay tuned.