Workers on New York’s Long Island Rail Road went on strike early Saturday after contract talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ended Friday, shutting down the busiest commuter rail system in North America and forcing about 250,000 weekday riders
When the Long Island Rail Road strike began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, it did so with a clear target in mind: the daily commute of roughly 250,000 people who rely on the system into New York City.
Union officials said the walkout was announced after negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ended Friday without a new contract.. Five labor unions. which represent about half the LIRR’s roughly 7. 000 workers—including locomotive engineers. machinists and signalmen—said they were legally allowed to strike once the clock ran out.
Kevin Sexton, the national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no new negotiations were scheduled. “We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said. “We are truly sorry that we’re in this situation.”
The shutdown is expected to send commuters back to traffic-choked highways, pushing longer work trips and forcing riders to hunt for alternative routes into Manhattan from Long Island suburbs—or to work from home.
“It’s gonna be such a nightmare trying to get in. ” said Rob Udle. an electrician who takes the LIRR at least five days a week into Manhattan.. The strike could also disrupt travel plans for some sports fans heading to Manhattan. including those hoping to get to the New York Knicks playoff run or watch the New York Yankees take on the crosstown Mets this weekend.
Gov. Kathy Hochul urged riders to work from home during the walkout, while the MTA prepared what she described as free but limited shuttle buses for essential workers during the rush-hour window.
In a statement, Hochul blamed the strike on union leadership.. “Comuters are dealing with unnecessary dysfunction and thousands of union LIRR workers are being forced to go without a paycheck because of decisions made by a small group of union leaders. ” she said.. “I stand with LIRR riders and will fight to preserve the long term stability of the MTA.”
The standoff centers on pay. The unions have demanded a total raise of 16% over four years, arguing it is needed to keep pace with inflation and rising living costs. The MTA has said the unions’ initial demands would drive fare increases.
The authority has agreed to a pay raise of at least 9.5% over the next three years. plus what would effectively amount to a 4.5% raise in year four.. Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s chief negotiator, said during a news conference Wednesday that the gap could be narrowed.. “The difference between those two positions is not unbridgeable,” Dellaverson suggested.. “The key question is: Will MTA and Gov.. Hochul create frustration and gridlock for commuters. spend millions on buses during a strike and lose millions in revenue over what amounts to roughly a one percent difference in wages?”
Nick Peluso, the national vice president for the Transportation Communications Union, answered in a statement that the disagreement was already being framed in a way that would hit riders.
On Long Island, some residents said they were adjusting immediately. Susanne Alberto, a personal trainer, said she had arranged for virtual sessions with her Manhattan clients if service stops. She argued the union likely holds leverage.
“The MTA is going to cave, and they know that,” Alberto said. “Why don’t they just do it now instead of waiting until virtually millions of people get inconvenienced?”
Udle said he expects to use vacation days rather than risk the “nightmare” of commuting if trains stop running. While he sympathized with workers’ affordability concerns, he criticized what he called “strong-arm tactics.”
“I get it, the cost of living is going up and stuff like that,” Udle said while waiting at Penn Station for a train home. “But they shouldn’t hold everybody hostage to do it. There’s a better way. You’re affecting a lot of other people.”
Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman, disputed the notion that the agency is responsible for the breakdown, saying the authority “gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay” and that it was apparent the unions intended to walk out.
The strike follows a failed effort to avert a shutdown earlier.. A strike was temporarily averted in September when President Donald Trump’s administration agreed to help with negotiations. but those efforts ended without a deal.. Both sides were given 60 days—ending at 12:01 a.m.. Saturday—to try again, before workers were legally allowed to strike or the agency could lock them out.
LIRR workers last went on strike in 1994 for about two days. Workers on the commuter rail system connecting Manhattan to New Jersey, New Jersey Transit, went on strike last year, lasting three days.
Long Island Rail Road LIRR strike Metropolitan Transportation Authority MTA Kathy Hochul labor unions commuter rail New York City Penn Station Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen