The Long Island Rail Road and a coalition of five unions reached a tentative deal Monday night to end a three-day strike that had halted service on the country's largest commuter railroad, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
About 3,500 workers are set to return Tuesday, with phased service resuming at noon and full service by 4 p.m.
Bloomberg / Getty Images
The Long Island Rail Road and a coalition of five unions reached a tentative deal Monday night to end a three-day strike that had halted service on the country's largest commuter railroad, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
According to The Wall Street Journal, trains will begin running again Tuesday at noon, starting with four branches — Babylon, Huntington, Port Washington, and Ronkonkoma — before service expands system-wide at 4 p.m. LIRR president Rob Free said the delay is needed to inspect equipment and position employees. The MTA is still advising riders to work from home Tuesday if possible while service is fully restored, according to the MTA.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Hochul said it "delivers raises for workers while protecting riders and taxpayers" and that funding for wage increases would not come from fare hikes or additional taxes. "We stood firm for a deal that would not require any additional fare increases or tax increases. Period. Full stop," she said at a press conference Monday night.
Workers across the five unions will need to vote to approve the agreement before it becomes final; a failed ratification vote would put the strike back on the table, according to CNN.
"This contract will ensure that 3,500 Long Island Railroad employees will be paid fairly for their labor," Hochul said.
Mark Wallace, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the five unions, said in a statement that "the final decision rests with the membership."
The first LIRR strike in 32 years got underway shortly after midnight on Saturday when last-ditch negotiations broke down. At the heart of the dispute was a pay gap: the unions were pushing for annual raises exceeding 4%, while management's offer sat at 3% — and employees had gone without any increase since 2022. The MTA put the average 2024 earnings of striking workers at over $135,000, a figure that climbs to roughly $200,000 once health insurance and other benefits are included, according to The Wall Street Journal.
On a normal weekday, roughly 300,000 commuters depend on the railroad. Shuttle buses the MTA pressed into service during the stoppage were nowhere near sufficient to absorb that demand. With annual fare revenue running around $636 million, the agency was forfeiting an estimated $2 million for each day trains sat idle, according to CNN.
Riders who hold monthly passes stand to get money back covering the days service was shut down, subject to approval by the MTA board, the MTA said.
The resumption of service also clears the way for Long Island fans to take the train to Game 1 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, Hochul noted.
Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.