Overview
- Five unions representing about 3,500 Long Island Rail Road workers began a strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, halting all train service on the nation’s largest commuter railroad.
- The core fight centers on year four of a new deal, with unions seeking a 5% permanent raise and the MTA pressing for a one‑time lump sum or a smaller raise tied to work‑rule concessions.
- The MTA’s contingency offers six weekday shuttle bus routes starting Monday that can move roughly 13,000 riders per commute, so most of the railroad’s roughly 250,000 weekday customers will need other options or remote work.
- MTA officials cite an average 2024 pay of $133,000 for affected workers and warn that higher permanent raises could force fare hikes, tax increases, layoffs, or service cuts, while business and fiscal estimates put daily regional losses at $61 million to $70 million.
- Talks ran late Friday with federal mediators involved, Gov. Kathy Hochul phoned in to press for a deal, and rail labor law hurdles have been cleared, leaving a negotiated agreement as the only route to restart service.