An NJ Transit union has rejected the contract agreement that avoided a strike in March.

"The vote is official. The membership has voted not to ratify the Tentative Agreement. We will resume negotiations with the carrier," read a statement from Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen General Chairman David C. Decker.

Eight of the 11 unions representing NJ Transit workers, however, have voted to ratify the contract. The two remaining unions planned to vote Saturday.

In an email, NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said the transit agency had not received official word of the vote and had no comment. Union officials did not immediately return a call for comment Saturday, so it was not clear what the vote would mean for the agreement.

Details of the agreement reached in March that avoided a strike by 4,000 NJ Transit workers were never officially released to the public.

The Record reported that the contract gives employees a retroactive raise of 2.5 percent a year dating back to 2010, when the last contract ended. The deal also reportedly caps employees' health insurance payments to just 2.5 percent of their base pay. The only issue considered a win by NJ Transit is the length of the contract — it goes through 2019.

Stephen Burkert, general chairman of SMART Local 60, which represented all 11 employee unions, had said that "the proposal is for longer term than the PEB (Presidential Emergency Board) recommendations, with the general wage increases rising accordingly." He said special meetings would be held to present the proposal in full followed by a ratification vote.

Gov. Chris Christie said during New Jersey 101.5's "Ask The Governor" program in March that there would be no increase in fares to cover the terms of the new contract. He said it was a good deal for both the unions and taxpayers.

"When you add their additional contributions they have to make for health, which are significant, the average net increase is 1.7 percent," he said.

Michael Symons contributed to this report

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM