LIRR strike – New York officials urged residents to work from home Monday as a Long Island Rail Road strike—its first in about 30 years—closed the busiest commuter rail link between Long Island and New York City. Emergency bus shuttles and additional subway service were set
By Sunday night, New York officials were preparing for a difficult Monday commute after Long Island Rail Road workers walked off the job, shutting down service for hundreds of thousands of riders.
Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters Sunday that the state and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were lining up emergency transit options after negotiations broke down this weekend. The walkout began Saturday, following the breakdown of talks between the MTA and rail unions.
“Let’s face the facts: It’s impossible to fully replace LIRR service,” Hochul said at a press conference.
The strike is the LIRR’s first in roughly 30 years and has halted service on one of the nation’s busiest commuter rail systems, which carries hundreds of thousands of riders between Long Island and New York City.
To reduce the impact, shuttle buses for essential workers were set to begin operating at about 4:30 a.m. Monday from six locations across Nassau and Suffolk counties to subway connections in Queens. Officials also repeatedly urged commuters who can work remotely to stay home during the strike.
MTA officials placed blame on union leadership, saying the agency remained prepared to keep bargaining even as talks collapsed. MTA CEO Janno Lieber said the MTA made its willingness to negotiate clear.
“We made it clear we are available if they want to come back and negotiate,” Lieber said. “They walked out and they went on strike.”
Union officials offered a sharply different account. saying the shutdown was driven by a dispute over wages and the cost of living.. The coalition of unions representing roughly 3. 500 LIRR workers accused Lieber and MTA leadership of forcing the shutdown by refusing to agree to wage increases after years without raises as living costs rose.
In a statement Sunday, the unions said the two sides were separated by less than 1 percentage point before talks broke down Friday night, and they called the strike “completely avoidable.”
IAM Union International President Brian Bryant said in a statement that workers wanted to keep serving riders and operating safely.
“Long Island Rail Road workers want to be doing what they’ve always done — serving the riding public and keeping LIRR moving safely and efficiently. ” Bryant said.. “But after years without raises and with the cost of living continuing to climb across Long Island and the New York City area. workers deserve a fair contract that recognizes their contributions and sacrifices.. This strike was completely avoidable. and the coalition remains ready to negotiate at any time if MTA leadership is finally prepared to bargain seriously.”
Hochul defended the MTA’s position Sunday, saying the agency could not agree to labor demands that would require steep fare hikes and increase taxes. She said the MTA could not accept a contract that would raise fares as much as 8% and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders.
“New York is a pro-labor state,” Hochul said. “We believe in working men and women receiving a fair wage and benefits, but the MTA cannot agree to a contract that would raise fares as much as 8% and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders.”
The dispute also centered on wage-related recommendations that the unions said were backed by two presidential emergency boards, which they cited in support of stronger wage increases for workers, while the MTA and Hochul pointed to fare and tax impacts as the barrier to agreement.
Officials are now asking commuters to adjust their routines as the strike moves into Monday morning, with shuttle service beginning around 4:30 a.m. and transit options aimed at filling some of the gap created by the shutdown of LIRR service.
Long Island Rail Road strike Kathy Hochul MTA Janno Lieber IAM Union International commuter rail New York City transit shuttle buses subway service work from home