LIRR strike ends after late deal with unions

LIRR strike – Trains on New York’s Long Island Rail Road are set to resume Tuesday after a late Monday deal reached with labor unions ended a strike that shut down the nation’s busiest commuter rail system. Service will restart around noon with full service expected for the

The Long Island Rail Road came to a stop in the early hours of Saturday, and by Monday night the dispute that powered the shutdown finally moved toward an end.

Trains are set to resume on Tuesday after a deal was reached late Monday to end the strike that had halted the busiest commuter rail system in the country. But the timing of the agreement did not erase the damage to Monday and left many commuters facing another disrupted start to the week. Limited train service is scheduled to resume around noon. with full service expected to be back in time for the evening rush.

Even as workdays restart, the LIRR urged riders to work from home again Tuesday if possible. Shuttle buses are being offered from a handful of locations on Long Island to subway stations in New York City.

The strike began when five labor unions representing about half of the train system’s workforce walked out at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Their action shut down service for roughly 250,000 commuters who use the rail line each weekday to travel between New York City and its eastern suburbs.

For Hallie Kessler, the last day of shutdown wasn’t just an inconvenience. The 24-year-old speech therapist traveled three hours home from her job at a public school in the New York City borough of Queens on Monday because trains were out of service.

“Obviously I wish trains would be running when peak hours start so I could avoid the long morning commute, but happy to not deal with it in the afternoon when I’m leaving work,” Kessler said. “Curious what the deal says about future fares, which has been a big concern, but we’ll see.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and railroad officials said they are not at liberty to disclose details of the new contract terms until they’re voted on and approved by union members. Hochul. who is up for reelection. stressed that the deal won’t increase fares or taxes and will give unionized workers the fair wages they deserve.

The first ripple effects of the walkout were felt quickly. Baseball fans looking to get to Citi Field in Queens had to find other ways to travel to see the New York Mets take on their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees.

Basketball fans were also in the government’s forecast. Hochul said the deal ensures Knicks supporters won’t meet the same fate as they travel to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The arena is located directly above the LIRR’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.

Behind the strike was a months-long contract fight. The unions, representing locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and others, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had been negotiating a new contract since 2023. Talks stalled over salaries and healthcare.

The unions said raises were needed to help workers keep up with inflation and the rising cost of living in the New York City area. The MTA countered that the unions’ initial demands would lead to fare increases and set a difficult precedent for negotiations with other transit unions.

For the LIRR, the walkout also carried historical weight. The strike was the first for the rail system since a two-day strike in 1994.

Now, after late Monday negotiations produced a deal, the focus turns to the next step: union votes and approval of the contract terms before the full reality of the outcome becomes clear for riders and workers alike.

LIRR strike Long Island Rail Road labor unions Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA Kathy Hochul commuter rail New York City transit fares healthcare negotiations shuttle buses