Leaders of 5 LIRR unions say strike could be on horizon
In a letter dated Aug. 14, union leaders wrote the National Mediation Board indicated the LIRR and unions were unable to reach a voluntary settlement.
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A strike on the Long Island Rail Road could be just weeks away, following a breakdown in contract negotiations between the agency and five unions representing its workers.
In a letter dated Aug. 14, union leaders wrote that the National Mediation Board indicated the LIRR and unions were unable to reach a voluntary settlement.
Union officials say they plan to reject an offer from the board, a move that triggers a mandatory 30-day "cooling-off" period under federal labor law. Once that period ends, either Gov. Kathy Hochul or one of the parties in the dispute could request that the Trump administration form a Presidential Emergency Board to intervene and help avert a strike.
The potential work stoppage has left thousands of commuters in limbo, unsure whether trains will continue to run in the coming weeks.
“We don’t want the workers to strike. That’s not good for anyone,” said Charlton D’Souza, president of the transit advocacy group Passengers United. “We feel the train engineers, the union, and the MTA should work out a proper collective bargaining agreement that benefits everyone.”
LIRR spokesperson Tim Minton criticized the National Mediation Board for its handling of the situation, accusing the board of accelerating the potential for a strike.
“Following the statutory process, MTA has offered to arbitrate with these unions, but so far all have refused,” Minton said in a written statement.
