The Long Island Rail Road strike entered its third day Monday as federal mediators summoned the MTA and a coalition of five unions back to the bargaining table, with no deal reached and service to about 300,000 daily commuters still suspended.
About 3,500 workers from 5 unions walked off the job Saturday in the railroad's first strike in 32 years, halting service for 300,000 daily riders
Bloomberg / Getty Images
The Long Island Rail Road strike entered its third day Monday as federal mediators summoned the MTA and a coalition of five unions back to the bargaining table, with no deal reached and service to about 300,000 daily commuters still suspended.
The walkout began just after midnight Saturday, when workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and four other unions walked off the job after negotiations with the MTA over a new contract collapsed. It is the first strike at the railroad in 32 years. The five unions represent about 3,500 workers, including locomotive engineers, signalmen, and machinists.
Negotiations were expected to resume at 7:30 a.m. Monday, according to Gothamist. After roughly 48 hours in which neither party engaged in substantive negotiations, the National Mediation Board intervened Sunday evening, calling the MTA and union coalition to resume talks at a Manhattan location.
The central dispute is over wages and healthcare premiums. Workers have not received raises since 2022, according to Time. Where the two sides remain deadlocked, according to Time, is this year's wage increase: unions entered negotiations seeking 6.5%, far above the roughly 3% the MTA has been willing to offer, even after both parties earlier signed off on retroactive raises of 3% to 3.5% annually covering the previous three years.
"The LIRR owns this strike," Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a statement. "The LIRR is stranding passengers while denying wages, benefits, and respect to BLET Teamsters and other hardworking union members."
At the Sunday news conference, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber warned that accepting what the unions were asking for would "blow up the MTA's budget," though he echoed Hochul's call to get back to the bargaining table. "We're more than willing to meet them halfway on wages," he said, according to CNBC.
Hochul warned that the financial math of striking was punishing for workers themselves, saying the wages lost during even a brief three-day work stoppage would wipe out any salary gains a new contract could deliver. "No one wins in a strike," she said. "Everyone is hurt."
With the railroad shut down, the MTA is running free shuttle buses during peak hours from six locations on Long Island to subway stations in Queens. At roughly 13,000 passengers, according to Gothamist, the shuttle capacity falls drastically short of what the railroad moves on a normal weekday. Officials urged commuters who can work from home to do so.
The disruption hit hard for those without that option. Lorna Reid, a 69-year-old home care worker heading to the Upper West Side, described a grueling two-hour walk just to reach the Hicksville station and board a shuttle to Howard Beach, she told Gothamist. "It's chaos and I wasn't expecting this. I'm tired," she said.
Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.