NEWARK -- Members of one of the unions representing NJ Transit rail workers have voted to reject a contract offer that prevented a strike last month.

In a brief statement published on the union's Web site Friday, David Decker, chairman of the New Jersey Transit Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said "The vote is official. The membership has voted not to verify the Tentative Agreement. We will resume negotiations with the carrier."

Thousands of commuters across the state heaved a sigh of relief when NJ Transit and 11 rail unions, including BLET, reached a tentative agreement March 11 that averted a strike a little more than a day before it was scheduled to take place. Transportation experts predicted chaos if the more than 100,000 rail commuters served daily by NJ Transit, the nation's third-largest commuter railway, had to rely on alternate transportation.



"NJ Transit has not received any official word on the vote and will not comment at this time," said Nancy Snyder, a spokeswoman, in an email.

The agreement, which gives the rail workers a 21 percent retroactive salary increase and requires them to contribute up to $160 monthly for health insurance coverage, ended years of negotiations during which 4,200 rail workers operated without a contract.

The BLET is the first union to reject the deal, app.com reported. Eight unions have ratified it while another will vote in the coming weeks. Members of the other union are scheduled to vote on the contract on Saturday.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.