NJ Transit Crisis: CEO Kris Kolluri’s Refusal to Support Equal Pay Leaves Commuters and Workers Stranded
- Karen Brittingham-Edmond
- May 17
- 2 min read
May 17, 2025
NJ Transit- Workplace Social Justice
Commuters Left Stranded
New Jersey ---At 12:01 A.M. Friday, NJ Transit train engineers walked off the job after failed negotiations with agency leadership and government officials. The immediate suspension of all rail service left about 100,000 commuters scrambling for alternatives. This is not just a transportation issue—it’s a matter of fairness and the right to equal pay for all workers.
The Pay Equity Issue
At the center of this crisis is NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri. Despite earning a $280,000 annual salary, Kolluri has refused to support pay equity for NJ Transit engineers. These workers are paid about $10 less per hour than their counterparts in neighboring states like New York. The demand is simple: equal compensation for equal work, regardless of whether the engineer is Black, White, male, or female. Equal pay is not a privilege—it is a right. Kolluri had this golden opportunity to make sure NJ Transit’s frontline workers receive equal pay. Kolluri, who happens to be of Middle Eastern descent but might identify as White, has clearly reaped all the benefits of Civil Rights and Human Rights mandates—of the 60s thanks to the hard work of Black American NJ Transit professionals’ ancestors. The same people he refuses to assist today. https://www.facebook.com/BLETNational/photos/celebrating-black-history-month-did-you-know-that-an-african-american-inventor-w/414665057745001/?_rdr
Leadership Under Scrutiny
Kolluri’s refusal to recognize this American right to equal pay has become the main obstacle to resolving the dispute. Governor Phil Murphy and others have identified Kolluri as the central figure blocking progress. His inability to empathize with the workers who keep New Jersey moving has left commuters stranded and exposed a deeper issue: a leadership that does not value equality or the rights of its workforce. (Fortune Magazine article by Bruce Shipkowski titled 'New Jersey Transit’s CEO clashes with employees over wage hikes: ‘I cannot keep giving money left and right’ May 14, 2025 https://fortune.com/article/new-jersey-transit-ceo-union-pay-commuter/)
A Call for Justice
The strike, led by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, is a direct response to this injustice surprisingly considering the history of said union. NJ Transit is the nation’s third largest provider of public transportation, serving nearly 270 million passenger trips each year. The impact of this crisis is felt by the entire community.
The message from NJ Transit engineers is clear: fair compensation, respect, and recognition for the vital work they do. Until leadership acknowledges that equal pay is a right for all American workers, the struggle for justice and equality in New Jersey’s public sector will continue. https://ble-t.org/about-the-blet/
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