New York commuter rail system shuts

The Long Island Rail Road shut down systemwide just after midnight on May 16 after five unions representing about half its workforce went on strike, halting service on the busiest commuter railroad in North America. The railroad serves New York City and Long Island suburbs, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the stoppage would disrupt nearly 300,000 daily passengers. The strike is the first on the LIRR in more than 30 years, according to union and Associated Press reports. MTA said limited shuttle bus service and other travel alternatives would be offered while talks continue. ### Which railroad is shut down, and how big is it? The Long Island Rail Road, not Metro-North or the New York City subway, is the system affected by the strike. MTA describes the LIRR as the busiest commuter railroad in North America, with about 250,000 weekday customers, while another agency page says average weekday ridership is about 301,000. The railroad operates across 11 branches and 126 stations from Montauk to Manhattan. (mta.info) MTA said all LIRR branches were suspended, including the Babylon, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Hempstead and Port Washington lines, along with service into Penn Station, Grand Central Madison, Atlantic Terminal and Long Island City. The agency posted the suspension on its homepage and service-alert pages early on May 16. ### Who walked out, and what were they fighting over? Five unions in a coalition walked out at 12:01 a.m. on May 16 after the final status quo period under the Railway Labor Act expired, according to the Transportation Communications Union. (mta.info) The coalition has included the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Transportation Communications Union. The contract dispute had been running for months and centered on wages and healthcare premiums, according to the Associated Press report carried by Newsday. A second Presidential Emergency Board had recommended raises and retroactive pay in March, union statements said, but the Long Island Rail Road rejected that recommendation, setting up the possibility of a strike in May. (tcunion.org) ### What did the MTA and Governor Kathy Hochul tell riders to do? MTA told riders to work from home if possible and avoid nonessential travel because there was “no substitute” for the railroad and alternatives would face severe congestion and delays. The agency said limited weekday shuttle buses would run during peak hours from six Long Island locations to subway transfer points in Queens, with no charge for the shuttle service. (newsday.com) Governor Kathy Hochul said on May 13 that the state was preparing shuttle buses for essential workers and urged employers and employees to work remotely if a strike occurred. Hochul also said both sides should continue to negotiate in good faith and said she believed a deal could still be reached. (mta.info) ### What did union leaders and MTA officials say after the walkout began? Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said early on May 16 that “we’re far apart at this point” and that no new negotiations had been scheduled, according to the Associated Press report. He also said, “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.” (governor.ny.gov) Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman and chief executive, said the agency had offered the unions what they asked for on pay and said it appeared to him the walkout had long been planned, according to the same report. MTA’s service notice separately said agency leaders would continue negotiating with the unions to resolve the strike. ### What does this mean for commuters this week? (newsday.com) Penn Station in Manhattan was largely emptied of its usual LIRR traffic on May 16, with platforms blocked by barricades and trains listed as “No Passengers,” according to the Associated Press report. Amtrak service was not affected. If the stoppage continues into the workweek, roughly a quarter-million weekday riders will need to use buses, cars or other transit to reach the city from Long Island. (newsday.com) MTA said riders should use its strike information page for shuttle routes, subway transfer points, NICE Bus connections and accessible-travel alternatives. The agency’s posted plan calls for peak-hour buses toward Manhattan from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and return service to Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays while the strike remains in effect. (mta.info) (newsday.com)