Commuters are battling travel chaos this morning after New Jersey 's first statewide transit strike in more 40 years began.
Roughly 450 unionized locomotive engineers walked off the job at midnight, shutting down the New Jersey Transit's rail network.
Picket lines are currently underway at Penn Station in New York City, the Atlantic City Rail Terminal and NJ Transit headquarters in Newark.
The strike has left roughly 350,000 riders without transport today, impacting their ability to get from the Garden State and into New York City .
Hoboken, a popular commuter city in NJ, advised residents overnight to expect 'significant disruption to regional transportation' on Friday.
'All NJ Transit rail service will be suspended at that time following failed contract negotiations between NJ Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET),' city officials said in a statement.
NJ Transit has encouraged commuters to work from home today and limit travel on the railway system to 'essential purposes only'.
The strike stems from a dispute over wages with union members, who claim to earn on average $113,000 annually, saying an agreement could be reached if their salaries were increased to $170,000.
NJ transit leadership disputes the BLET's data, alleging most engineers earn $135,000 annually.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
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