North America's largest commuter rail system, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), was shut down on Saturday after five unions representing about half its workforce went on strike. The walkout began at 12:01 am, following months of negotiations over a new contract, with the Trump administration having previously intervened to broker a deal.
Kevin Sexton, national vice-president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no new talks were scheduled and that the sides remained far apart. Janno Lieber, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), stated that the agency's last offer gave the unions everything they wanted in terms of pay, and accused them of always intending to strike.
The strike, the first for the LIRR since 1994, is expected to disrupt travel for sports fans attending Yankees and Mets games, as well as NBA playoff games at Madison Square Garden. If the shutdown continues past the weekend, roughly 250,000 daily commuters will need to find alternative routes, likely leading to increased congestion on the region's roads.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for both sides to return to the bargaining table, warning that the unions' demands could raise fares by up to 8%. The MTA has offered free limited shuttle buses on weekdays and encouraged working from home, but the contingency plan cannot handle normal ridership levels.
The dispute centres on salaries and health care premiums, with unions arguing for raises to keep pace with inflation. Gerard Bringmann of the LIRR Commuter Council warned that any pay increases would come at the expense of riders through higher fares. Labour expert William Dwyer noted that Governor Hochul, facing re-election, may face pressure to resolve the strike quickly to avoid voter backlash.
