Long Island Rail Road strike deadline looms Saturday

Five unions representing 3,500 Long Island Rail Road workers said a strike could begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, if they do not reach a wage agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The labor dispute has moved into its final hours after days of negotiations over the last year of a four-year contract, with both sides already aligned on raises for the first three years. The MTA has published contingency plans that assume a full shutdown of LIRR service if workers walk out. Governor Kathy Hochul said this week that both sides had made progress, but she also urged commuters and employers to prepare for disruptions if talks fail. ### When exactly would service stop? Saturday, May 16, is the deadline both sides have identified, and News 12 reported the cutoff as 12:01 a.m. for avoiding a system-wide shutdown. The MTA said a strike would force LIRR service to shut down entirely. ABC7 reported Thursday that a walkout could begin “Saturday at midnight” if no agreement is reached. (ny1.com) The Long Island Rail Road carries roughly 250,000 to 300,000 riders on weekdays, according to MTA and state officials. The agency’s website described the railroad as the busiest commuter railroad in North America, and Hochul called it a “lifeblood” for Long Island commuters in remarks on May 13. ### What are the unions and the MTA fighting over? The contract dispute has narrowed to the fourth year of the agreement, which begins next month, according to NY1. (longisland.news12.com) Both sides have already agreed to 9.5% in raises over the first three years. NY1 reported that the MTA increased its offer for the fourth year to 4.5%, up from 3%, while the unions are seeking 5%. (mta.info) Thursday’s union release, as quoted by News 12, said the coalition would not accept “gimmicks offered by the MTA” and rejected proposed one-time lump-sum payments. The same release said “a straightforward wage increase is necessary” and warned that a strike in less than 48 hours was likely unless the MTA changed its wage proposal. (ny1.com) March 27 marked another step in the dispute when the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said a second Presidential Emergency Board had sided with the unions’ offer. The union said the board rejected the LIRR’s proposed work-rule changes and chose the unions’ last offer as the more reasonable one under the Railway Labor Act process. (longisland.news12.com) ### What has Hochul said as the deadline approaches? Governor Kathy Hochul said on May 13 that “No one wants a strike” and said she had directed the MTA to bargain. She also said workers “deserve to be paid fairly,” but added that the state had to be “responsible with public funds and the fares paid by Long Island residents.” (ble-t.org) Hochul also said the MTA was prepared to provide shuttle buses for essential workers across the region if service stops. In the same remarks, she encouraged Long Island employers and employees to work remotely. ### What would commuting look like if trains stop? The MTA said weekday shuttle buses would run during peak hours from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. toward Manhattan and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. toward Long Island. (governor.ny.gov) The buses would operate from six Long Island locations to subway transfer points in Queens, and the agency said there would be no charge for the shuttle service. ABC7 reported the shuttle routes would connect Bay Shore, Hicksville, Mineola and Hempstead Lake State Park to Howard Beach-JFK Airport for A-train access, and Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica-179th Street for F-train access. The MTA also said Nassau riders should consider NICE bus connections to Queens, including Flushing-Main Street and the Jamaica Bus Terminal area. (mta.info) ### How much strain could a shutdown put on Long Island roads? News 12 reported that Long Island’s major roads, including the Long Island Expressway, Northern State Parkway and Southern State Parkway, could see severe congestion if even part of the usual rail ridership shifts to cars. The MTA’s own strike advisory said there is “no substitute” for the railroad and told riders to avoid nonessential travel and work from home if possible because alternatives would be near or at capacity. (abc7ny.com) Friday is the next key date in the dispute, with ABC7 reporting that negotiations were set to resume that day. The MTA’s strike information page remained live as of May 14 with route maps, NICE bus guidance and station drop-off recommendations for commuters planning for a possible Saturday shutdown. (abc7ny.com) (longisland.news12.com)