Overview
- Union leaders representing five Long Island Rail Road unions said at a Wednesday press conference they will strike at 12:01 a.m. on May 16 if no deal is reached, which they warn would halt service.
- The coalition rejected the MTA’s three-year offer with 9.5% in raises and is pushing a four-year package that matches federal mediators’ recommendation of 14.5% plus a $3,000 lump sum.
- MTA officials say they accept raises for the first three years but oppose a 5% increase in the fourth year unless unions agree to concessions on work rules and job duties.
- The MTA has floated changes that target extra pay for engineers who run both diesel and electric trains in one shift, limits on overnight maintenance, and clerks taking on tasks beyond ticket sales.
- Union leaders call the agency’s limited shuttle-bus contingency plan inadequate and warn traffic could swell by roughly 350,000 displaced riders, while the MTA points to remote work as a buffer.