LIRR union Leaders: Talks with MTA stall 8 days before strike deadline
The unions and the MTA agree on 9.5% raises for the first three years of a four-year contract. But the fourth year is in dispute.
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The leaders of five Long Island Rail Road unions representing roughly half of the agency’s unionized workforce say contract talks with the MTA have stalled.
The announcement comes eight days before the deadline for a strike, which would bring the nation’s largest commuter railroad to a screeching halt.
The two sides met for about five hours on Thursday at the LIRR’s offices in Jamaica, Queens. Union leaders say they were offered lump sum payments and other “gimmicks” in lieu of the wage increases the unions are requesting.
The unions and the MTA agree on 9.5% raises for the first three years of a four-year contract. But the fourth year is in dispute.
The unions are asking for 5% raises in year four. The MTA has offered 3% raises. Additionally, the MTA has offered 1.5% productivity pay in exchange for give-backs on certain work rules.
MTA chairman and CEO Janno Lieber offered a more optimistic assessment, saying the two sides remain close to an agreement and that progress has been made in recent discussions.
“We’re close enough that we should be able to resolve this and not throw money away by going on strike,” Lieber said.
Lieber also pushed back against union criticism of the MTA’s proposal, arguing the authority has made a significant offer.
“We put money on the table,” he said. “That’s money in the pockets of the families they represent. They should stick up for those families and be honest that there’s money available.”
Both sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on Monday.
