LIRR Strike To Hit Evening NYC Commute

The Long Island Rail Road strike that upended travel between Long Island and New York City ended late Monday after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions reached a deal, Governor Kathy Hochul said. (mta.info) The walkout began at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, shutting down what the MTA and other news outlets described as the region’s busiest commuter rail line. About 3,500 workers represented by five unions were involved, according to Reuters and the Associated Press. (usnews.com) Limited train service resumed at noon on Tuesday, May 19, and shuttle buses continued through the morning rush, the MTA said. (mta.info) ### When did the disruption start, and who walked out? Saturday, May 16, was the first day of the strike after five unions representing about half of the LIRR workforce walked off the job. The Associated Press and NBC New York reported that the unions were legally permitted to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. after contract talks failed to produce an agreement. The unions represented workers including locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen, electricians and ticket agents, according to NBC New York and amNewYork. (usnews.com) Reuters put the number of striking workers at about 3,500. ### How many riders were affected? The Long Island Rail Road carries roughly 250,000 to 300,000 riders a day, according to Reuters, the Associated Press and WSHU. That made the shutdown a direct hit to commuters traveling between Long Island, Queens and Manhattan, including riders using Penn Station and Grand Central Madison. (theintelligencer.net) NBC New York reported that the strike stretched into a third day and turned some commutes into hours-long trips. The MTA had warned before the walkout that riders should complete trips before midnight if possible because service could be suspended entirely. (usnews.com) ### What travel options did the MTA offer during the shutdown? The MTA said it provided limited free shuttle bus service during peak hours for essential workers and riders who could not work from home. On Tuesday morning, after the strike ended but before trains resumed, buses were scheduled to run toward Manhattan from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and toward Long Island from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. (usnews.com) Six Long Island pickup points were listed for shuttle service to subway connections in Queens: Bay Shore, Huntington, Ronkonkoma, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville and Mineola. The MTA also directed riders to NICE Bus connections and recommended several subway stations as passenger drop-off points, including Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike and Ozone Park-Lefferts Boulevard. (nbcnewyork.com) ### What were the two sides fighting over? The dispute centered on wages after years of negotiations over a new contract. CNBC reported that the unions said larger raises were needed to keep up with inflation and living costs, while the MTA said the unions’ initial demands would lead to large fare increases and exceed pay patterns for other unionized workers. (mta.info) WSHU reported before the strike that the five unions sought a 14.5% wage increase. That figure helps explain why the talks had drawn federal attention before the walkout. (mta.info) ### What changed Monday night? Monday, May 18, brought a breakthrough after the evening rush, when Hochul announced that the MTA and the five unions had reached what she called a fair deal. Reuters reported that the agreement ended the first LIRR strike in more than three decades. NBC New York said the late timing meant the railroad could not restore service for the Tuesday morning commute. (cnbc.com) The MTA said full restoration would take time and told customers to work from home on Tuesday if possible. Limited LIRR service resumed at noon on May 19, while shuttle buses remained in place through the morning rush as crews worked to restore normal operations. (wshu.org) ### What should riders watch next? Tuesday, May 19, is the next key date for riders because the MTA said phased rail service would begin at noon and shuttle buses would continue through the morning commute. The agency directed customers to its alerts and strike information pages for route details, pickup points and restoration updates. (mta.info) (usnews.com)