Overview
- Negotiators, who reconvene Wednesday under National Mediation Board oversight, have not reached a deal as a strike by about 3,500 workers could start just after midnight Saturday and shut the railroad for roughly 270,000 to 300,000 daily riders.
- The sticking point is the fourth year of pay in 2026, with unions holding at 5% and the MTA offering 3% or up to 4.5% with offsets, and MTA officials said Tuesday they are no longer pressing work‑rule concessions after unions rejected changes.
- The MTA’s contingency plan relies on weekday shuttle buses from Bay Shore, Hicksville, Mineola, Huntington, Ronkonkoma, and near Lakeview to the A and F subway lines in Queens during peak hours, and officials urge telework because buses cannot carry most riders.
- MTA Chair Janno Lieber says covering higher raises without offsets could mean fare increases or service cuts, and Gov. Kathy Hochul says she is engaged in the talks and seeking a deal that avoids a shutdown.
- Traffic experts warn that a shutdown will likely clog the Long Island Expressway and other key routes, NICE Bus plans extra service at key hubs, and the last LIRR strike in 1994 lasted two days.