LIRR strike halts service second day

Five unions representing about half of the Long Island Rail Road workforce went on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, after contract talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down, shutting down the railroad systemwide. (mta.info) The walkout halted service on the nation’s busiest commuter railroad for a second day on Sunday, with state and MTA officials warning that the biggest disruption could come with the Monday morning commute. The MTA said nearly 300,000 passengers depend on the LIRR each day and urged riders to work from home if possible. (ny1.com) The dispute centers on pay and work rules in a four-year contract that has been under negotiation for roughly three years. (tcunion.org) Both sides had agreed to retroactive raises for the first three years, but they remained divided over compensation in the fourth year and over how any increase would be structured. Union leaders said the MTA was offering a one-time payment instead of a permanent wage increase, while MTA officials said their latest offer matched the unions’ requested pay level and would have sent the final year to binding arbitration if needed. ### How big is the shutdown? (mta.info) The Long Island Rail Road carries about 270,000 to 300,000 riders on a typical weekday, according to the MTA and local news reports. The strike is the first on the railroad since 1994, when a previous walkout lasted two days. Saturday’s shutdown suspended all LIRR service until further notice, the MTA said. The agency posted travel alternatives and said substitute service would be limited and could not replace normal rail operations. ### What are the unions and the MTA fighting over? The five-union coalition represents about 3,500 workers, including engineers, machinists, signalmen, electrical workers and transportation communications employees, according to reports and union materials. (gothamist.com) The unions had sought a higher permanent raise in the fourth year of the contract, while the MTA said the sides had already agreed to 3%, 3% and 3.5% retroactive increases for the first three years. (mta.info) Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s lead negotiator, said this week that the agency’s latest proposal would have amounted to a 4.5% increase in the fourth year through lump-sum payments. (mta.info) Union officials rejected that structure as a “gimmick” and said workers wanted the increase folded into base pay. Janno Lieber, the MTA’s chair and chief executive, said after the deadline passed that the agency “cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes MTA’s budget” and would not agree to terms that force fare hikes or higher taxpayer costs. He also said the MTA had proposed concluding the first three agreed years and sending the fourth year to binding arbitration, but that offer was rejected. (progressiverailroading.com) ### How will commuters get around if the strike lasts into Monday? The MTA said weekday shuttle buses would run only during peak hours and only from six Long Island locations to subway transfer points in Queens. (ny1.com) The routes include Bay Shore, Hicksville and Mineola to Howard Beach-JFK Airport on the A line, and Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica-179th Street on the F line. The contingency plan is designed for essential workers and riders who cannot telecommute, not for the full LIRR ridership. Politico reported that the buses could handle about 13,000 riders, far below normal weekday demand. Gov. Kathy Hochul said before the strike that the buses “will not be able to replace full Long Island Rail Road service.” (mta.info) State transportation officials have also prepared for heavier road traffic with electronic message signs, tow trucks, highway maintenance crews and traffic-signal staff, according to Gothamist. (mta.info) ### Why did Monday become the key date? Sunday service matters less to many riders than the Monday rush hour, when the LIRR normally moves hundreds of thousands of commuters between Long Island and New York City. MTA officials and Hochul have repeatedly told employers and workers to prepare now for remote work because replacement bus service will be limited. (politico.com) Rob Free, the LIRR president, said last month that buses could not possibly absorb the railroad’s full customer load. “We have to recognize over 277,000 daily customers. We couldn’t possibly accommodate that by buses,” Gothamist quoted him as saying. (gothamist.com) ### What happens next in the negotiations? A union media advisory issued on Saturday said “no further contract talks are scheduled” after the strike began. Union leaders described the walkout as a “management provoked strike,” while Lieber said it had become apparent that the unions “always intended to strike.” (mta.info) Monday, May 18, is the next concrete test for both sides because the MTA’s weekday contingency plan begins then and the pressure from the regular commuter rush will increase. The MTA said riders should check its strike information page for updates on shuttle buses, accessible travel alternatives and any change in service status. (gothamist.com) (mta.info) (tcunion.org)