Hochul urges – New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged unions representing workers on the Long Island Rail Road to resume bargaining Sunday, warning the long strike—its first in three decades—harms both workers and hundreds of thousands of commuters.
When New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stepped to the microphones Sunday, she did not offer a threat so much as an invitation—asking unions that walked out Friday to come back and sit at the table before the Monday morning commute.
“This is my official invitation. We didn’t want you to leave. You left. You’re welcome to come back. I’ll provide refreshments, whatever you like. Just c’mon back,” Hochul said during a news conference as the strike—the first in three decades—entered its second day.
Hochul. appearing with the chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority that runs the rail line. said no one benefits from a walkout.. “We all know that the railroad is the lifeblood of Long Island.. Without it, life as we know it is simply not possible.. The bottom line is, no one wins in a strike.. Everyone is hurt,” she said.
The Long Island Rail Road serves hundreds of thousands of commuters traveling along a 118-mile-long (190-kilometer-long) route that stretches across parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City and the Hamptons near the eastern tip of Long Island.. Many riders live outside New York City in two counties totaling nearly three million people.
The shutdown began just after midnight Friday. after five unions representing about half of the LIRR’s workforce walked off the job.. Hochul urged the unions to reach a deal before Monday. saying workers would lose every dollar they would gain with a new contract by remaining on strike for three days.
During the news conference. International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers and the Transportation Communications Union said in a statement that union workers “are not asking for special treatment — they are simply fighting to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of living in the New York region after years without a raise.”
The negotiating fight centers on stalled talks for a new contract over salaries and healthcare premiums.. The MTA and the unions had been negotiating for months, with talks bogged down by compensation and health costs.. The Trump administration tried to broker a deal, but the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m.. Saturday.
Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no new negotiations have been scheduled. “We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said Saturday. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the unions’ proposals would “blow up the MTA’s budget,” though he joined Hochul’s request that the unions resume talks. “They elected to walk out. We’re more than willing to meet them halfway on wages,” he said.
As the walkout stretched into its second day, its disruptions landed on sports fans trying to get to Manhattan events.. Would-be commuters spent the weekend looking at train schedule departure boards that listed ghost trains marked “No Passengers. ” rather than routes with destinations. with some fans facing the shutdown of travel to Penn Station. located directly above the railroad hub in Manhattan.
Hochul said essential workers among the roughly 250,000 weekday LIRR riders can take buses into the city from six locations on Long Island starting at 4 a.m. Monday, and during an evening rush-hour commute from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The dispute has also become entangled in national politics.. Hochul blamed the Trump administration for cutting mediation short and pushing negotiations toward a strike.. Trump. a Republican. responded on his Truth Social platform Saturday. saying he had nothing to do with the strike and “never even heard about it until this morning.”
“No, Kathy, it’s your fault, and now looking over the facts, you should not have allowed this to happen,” Trump wrote.
Hochul urged companies and agencies employing Long Island workers to let them work from home whenever possible. “It’s impossible to fully replace LIRR service. So effective Monday, I’m asking that regular commuters who can work from home, should. Please do so,” she said.
The MTA has said the unions’ initial demands to raise salaries would result in large fare increases and be disproportionate to what other unionized workers are paid.. The unions. representing locomotive engineers. machinists. signalmen and other train workers. said more substantial raises were needed to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs.
The timeline forms a tight chain: negotiations stalled for months over salaries and healthcare premiums. mediation was cut short after an attempt to broker a deal. and the unions were legally able to strike at 12:01 a.m.. Saturday—leaving Hochul to press for a return to bargaining before Monday’s commute.
As the strike continues into Sunday. the central disagreement remains the same: unions say they are trying to keep pace with the cost of living. while the MTA says the proposals would strain its budget and drive major fare increases.. Hochul’s message to union workers—come back. try again. and avoid a three-day loss—stands in direct contrast to the union stance that their demands reflect what workers need after years without a raise.
Long Island Rail Road LIRR strike Kathy Hochul Metropolitan Transportation Authority unions bargaining commuters Penn Station labor negotiations