Long Island Rail Road strike halts service

The Long Island Rail Road remained shut on Monday, May 18, after a strike that began just after midnight on Saturday suspended service systemwide and disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of riders. Five unions representing about half the railroad’s workforce walked off the job after contract talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down ahead of a strike deadline. (mta.info) The shutdown is the first LIRR strike in nearly three decades, according to multiple reports. The MTA said riders should work from home if possible and warned that roads and substitute transit options would be crowded. (longisland.news12.com) ### When did the shutdown start, and how broad is it? At 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, the strike took effect and Long Island Rail Road service was suspended systemwide, according to the MTA. The railroad said the stoppage affects nearly 300,000 passengers who rely on the LIRR each day. Five unions representing roughly 3,500 workers walked out after negotiations failed to produce a new contract before the deadline, according to Politico and other local reports. The LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in North America and serves New York City and Long Island suburbs. (mta.info) ### What are the two sides fighting over? The current dispute centers on the fourth year of a contract after both sides agreed on retroactive raises for the first three years, according to Politico. Those earlier increases were 3%, 3% and 3.5%, while the remaining disagreement concerns how to structure pay in the final year. (mta.info) The MTA’s latest proposal included a 4.5% increase for the fourth year delivered through one-time lump-sum payments, Politico reported. Union leaders rejected that structure, saying it would leave workers exposed in future contract cycles, while MTA officials argued they could not accept terms that would require larger fare increases or more taxpayer support. (politico.com) Janno Lieber, the MTA’s chair and chief executive, said on May 16 that the agency would not make “a deal that implodes MTA’s budget.” Lieber also said the agency had offered to send the fourth year to binding arbitration after agreeing on the first three years, but that proposal was rejected. (politico.com) ### If trains are not running, what options do commuters have? The MTA said weekday shuttle buses would run during peak hours between six Long Island locations and subway transfer points in Queens. Those routes include Bay Shore, Huntington, Ronkonkoma, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville and Mineola. (politico.com) The substitute service is limited. The MTA said there is “no substitute” for the railroad and warned that travel alternatives would be near or at capacity. Politico reported the shuttle operation could accommodate only about 13,000 riders, far below normal weekday demand. (mta.info) NICE Bus in Nassau County said it would add service beginning Monday, May 18, to hubs including Hicksville, Mineola, Great Neck and Freeport. ### What have state officials said since the walkout? Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, urged both sides on Sunday to return to the bargaining table and “get a deal done,” according to Associated Press reporting carried by Spectrum News. (mta.info) She said the MTA had put multiple offers on the table and said “no one wins in a strike.” On May 16, Hochul was briefed by MTA leadership on the shutdown, ongoing labor negotiations and shuttle bus plans for essential workers, according to the governor’s office. The MTA has continued to tell riders who can work remotely to do so during the stoppage. (mta.info) ### Are negotiations still going on? The National Mediation Board summoned the MTA and the five striking unions to resume bargaining on Sunday evening in Manhattan, according to ABC7 and News 12. Those talks continued until nearly 1:30 a.m. Monday, NY1 reported, and both sides agreed to return to the table again at 7:30 a.m. (ny1.com) Monday. Monday morning’s commute could not be restored even with an overnight agreement because crews and trains would still need to be repositioned, NY1 reported. As of the MTA’s latest public advisory, LIRR service remained suspended systemwide and the agency was directing riders to its strike information page and travel-alternatives updates. (governor.ny.gov) (ny1.com) (abc7ny.com)