The National Mediation Board has called NJ Transit and union officials to a meeting in Washington D.C. Monday in an effort to avoid a strike later this week that would halt train service.
The train engineer union’s chairman Tom Haas accuses NJ Transit of walking away from the negotiating table with the two sides still apart on wages.
"We know they have been wrong by refusing to negotiate in good faith by the locomotive engineers instead of adopting a take it or leave it approach."
But NJ Transit President Kirs Kolluri says he gave the union what it wanted and thought he had a handshake deal in place.
"Do you not remember you met me, that you shook my hand, that you made a deal.
If no deal is agreed upon this week, engineers say they will walk off the job Friday, leaving some 350-thousand NJ Transit train riders scrambling to seek other commuting options.