Paychecks for 2,900 NJ Transit employees delayed after payroll glitch
October 3, 2014, 5:09 PM Last updated: Friday, October 3, 2014, 7:28 PM
By JOHN CICHOWSKI
staff writer
The Record
Some 2,900 NJ Transit rail employees were unpleasantly surprised this week when they tried to access paychecks that usually are posted in their bank accounts at 12:01 a.m. each Thursday.
In the latest of several embarrassing blunders, the nation’s biggest statewide commuter rail system had somehow failed to transmit payroll funds to more than 25 percent of its 11,000 employees. Its executive director, Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim, blamed the glitch on an upgrade to a new electronic payroll system managed by a Canadian vendor, the Highline Corp.
“Unfortunately, we had a processing error with this new system that impacted our rail employees who received their paycheck via direct deposit,” said Hakim.
Adjustments to the system “resolved the issue” quickly, she said in her email, although payments were delayed until Friday in some instances. Only non-union operations employees were affected by the processing error. For example, police and executives, who are paid under a different system, were not inconvenienced, said an agency spokeswoman who attempted to downplay the oversight.
Some employees agreed.
“For some of us it turned out to be a small inconvenience,” said one man who asked not to be identified. “But for those who live hand to mouth, it was just another reason to complain about how the place is run.”
Hakim took the helm of NJ Transit early this year, replacing James Weinstein whose four-year tenure was marred by several management blunders including the loss of millions of dollars in rail cars and equipment during Superstorm Sandy, extra-long rail delays at MetLife Stadium following the Super Bowl, and a failure to renew federal registrations for the agency’s trademark logos.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/paychecks-for-2-900-nj-transit-employees-delayed-after-payroll-glitch-1.1102268#sthash.fQFQFq29.dpuf
Do the trains still have ‘fireman’ on board.
This is the position that shovels the coal into the steam engine.
Despite switching to diesel locomotives, the unions required that position to be filled (known as ‘featherbedding’) when I used to commute.
Is this waste of money still in place?
no an engineer drives the train and the conductors do everything else and I mean everything
I had some European friends over last year and they rode the train with me on my commute in to visit NYC for the day. They were flabbergasted when the conductor started ratcheting-up the brakes as we approached Hoboken. They thought this seemed like something out of Abe Lincoln’s time. I have to agree with them, having experienced Europe’s efficient and modern commuter rail networks. They are so much more nimble and quiet, compared to our clunking trains.
have you ever taken a train in Europe ???
WHen I commuted to NYC in the 1970’s there were 2 people in the locomotives.
I once inquired as to why there were 2?
I was told one was the ‘fireman’ (not needed on anything but a coal powered train)
that’s the 70’s …ie a lot has changed btw the Main line and Bergen line are diesel