NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter rail system in North America, remained shut down for a second day on Sunday after unionized workers walked off the job in the railroad’s first strike since 1994.
Service stopped just after midnight Friday when five unions representing roughly half of the LIRR’s workforce began the walkout. The unions represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signal workers and other train employees.
Talks Stalled on Pay and Healthcare
The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that operates the railroad, had negotiated for months without reaching a new contract. Talks broke down over wages and healthcare premiums. The unions became legally free to strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after a federal mediation process ended.
Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said early Saturday that no new negotiating sessions had been scheduled and that the two sides were “far apart.” MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency had met the unions’ pay demands and argued the unions had intended to strike all along.
The MTA has said the unions’ original wage proposals would have forced fare increases and affected bargaining with other employee groups. Union members say larger raises are needed to keep up with inflation, and some picketing workers said they had gone roughly three years without a contract.
Commuters Brace for Monday
About 250,000 riders use the system on a typical weekday to travel between Long Island suburbs and New York City. Gov. Kathy Hochul has urged commuters to work from home if possible. The MTA said it would run limited shuttle buses to subway stations but acknowledged the plan could not accommodate normal weekday ridership.
Penn Station, the railroad’s Manhattan hub, was largely empty Saturday, with platform entrances blocked and departure boards listing trains that would carry no passengers. Amtrak service was not affected.
Political Dimension
Hochul, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, blamed the Trump administration for ending mediation early. President Donald Trump responded on social media that he had no role in the strike and blamed the governor. A rider advocacy group warned that a large settlement could push a planned 4% fare increase to 8%.
Labor Experts Weigh In
William Dwyer, a labor relations expert at Rutgers University, said the timing places pressure on state leaders because Long Island is an important voting bloc in the governor’s race. New Jersey commuter rail workers staged a three-day strike last year, a recent example of rail labor disputes in the region.
The disruption also complicated weekend plans for sports fans, with Madison Square Garden, home of the New York Knicks, sitting directly above Penn Station during the team’s playoff run.
Hochul scheduled a news conference for Sunday morning as pressure mounted on both sides to reach an agreement before the Monday rush hour.
Sources & Credits
- Associated Press: New York commuter rail system ceases operations as workers strike
Image: Bonnachoven, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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