Strike cripples Long Island rail road after failed pay talks

Workers on New York’s Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) went on strike early Saturday, May 16, union officials said, bringing the busiest commuter rail system in North America to a halt.

Labour unions representing about half of the system’s 7,000 workers announced the walkout after contract negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) ended on Friday without an agreement. The five unions, which include locomotive engineers, machinists, and signalmen, were legally permitted to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, AP reports.

Kevin Sexton, National Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no further negotiations have been scheduled.

“We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency “gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay,” adding that it appeared the unions had always intended to walk out.

The strike is expected to disrupt roughly 250,000 daily riders, forcing commuters to find alternative ways into New York City from Long Island or to work from home. The disruption is likely to increase traffic congestion and lengthen commute times.

“It’s gonna be such a nightmare trying to get in,” said Rob Udle, an electrician who commutes to Manhattan on the LIRR at least five days a week.

The strike is also expected to complicate travel plans for sports fans heading into Manhattan this weekend to watch the New York Knicks’ playoff run or the New York Yankees face the New York Mets.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged commuters to work from home during the strike, as the MTA plans to operate free but limited shuttle bus services during peak weekday hours, primarily for essential workers.

In a statement, Hochul blamed union leadership for the disruption.

“Commuters 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,” Hochul said. “I stand with LIRR riders and will fight to preserve the long term stability of the MTA.”

The dispute centers on wages. The unions are seeking a total pay increase of 16% over four years, arguing it is necessary to keep up with inflation and rising living costs. The MTA has countered that such demands could lead to fare increases and has offered at least a 9.5% raise over three years, plus an effective 4.5% increase in the fourth year.

“The difference between those two positions is not unbridgeable,” said Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s chief negotiator, during a news conference Wednesday.

Nick Peluso, national vice president for the Transportation Communications Union, questioned the agency’s approach.

“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 per cent difference in wages?” Peluso said in a statement.

A strike had been temporarily averted in September when the administration of President Donald Trump intervened to support negotiations. Those efforts ended without a deal, giving both sides a 60-day period, which expired at 12:01 a.m. Saturday — to resolve their differences before a strike could legally proceed or a worker lockout could be imposed.

LIRR workers last went on strike in 1994, in a stoppage that lasted about two days. A separate strike on New Jersey Transit, which connects Manhattan to New Jersey, occurred last year and lasted three days.

By Tamilla Hasanova