Long Island Rail Road Shuts Down After MTA, Unions Fail to Reach Wage Deal

The Long Island Rail Road shut down Saturday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in more than three decades, with service ceasing just after midnight.

The strike began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday after the MTA and unions representing 3,500 workers failed to reach an agreement on wages and work rules, according to CNN.

ABC7 New York

Newsday reported that the system moves an average of 270,000 commuters on a weekday and around 130,000 each day of the weekend, and that traffic times shot up on Saturday as the halted service took effect.

The Hill said President Trump responded to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s blame game in a Truth Social post, writing, "Failed New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, a Dumacrat, just blamed ME for her Long Island Railroad STRIKE".

The Hill also reported that around 3,500 LIRR workers went on strike after negotiations over a new wage agreement fell through, and that the halt in services is expected to impact up to 300,000 commuters.

As the strike took effect, the MTA warned commuters to be prepared for service to shut down entirely and put contingency plans in place, including shuttle buses running between Ronkonkoma and Huntington LIRR stations and the Jamaica 179th Street subway stop in Queens.

ABC7 New York said the shuttle buses would run during peak hours toward Manhattan from 4:30 to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 to 7 p.m., and that commuters could connect to the F train into Manhattan.

ABC7 New York

Gothamist reported that Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said, "We're far apart at this point" and that no new round of talks had yet been scheduled.

The Hill described Hochul’s criticism of the union demands as “reckless” and quoted her saying, "These unions represent the highest paid workers of any railroad in the nation".

Newsday quoted AAA Northeast’s Robert Sinclair Jr. saying, "I think gridlocks like we’ve never seen before will happen," and added that there really are no good alternatives.

If the strike continues into Monday, the MTA’s shuttle bus contingency plan is expected to be overwhelmed, with ABC7 New York and Newsday both describing limited capacity and urging riders to work from home if possible.

Politico reported that the shuttle service would be able to accommodate only about 13,000 riders, and that the walkout immediately suspended service for roughly 300,000 daily riders into and out of New York City.

The Hill said the International Brotherhood of Teamsters stated the workers have gone three years without a raise during this bargaining process, while the MTA countered with a 3 percent wage increase proposal.

CNN reported that the MTA warned the unions’ demands could trigger steep fare hikes, while Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the strike as “reckless” and said commuters were dealing with unnecessary dysfunction.

The Hill also said the state comptroller’s office warned of economic fallout, estimating a strike could cost roughly $61 million per day, and it described the dispute as centered on how to structure pay increases in the final year of a new contract.