A Long Island Rail Road strike could begin on May 16 if no deal is reached between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its unionized employees. It would be the first major work stoppage on the commuter rail system in over three decades.
The possibility of a strike is already forcing commuters who use the Lynbrook station to consider major changes to their routines — including working from home.
Kevin Malek, a Woodmere resident who often uses the Lynbrook station for a faster commute into Manhattan, said the disruption could shift his work schedule entirely. “I would actually appreciate being forced to work from home,” he said.
Malek said he typically catches a train in Lynbrook because it cuts his commute to Penn Station to about 35 minutes, compared with nearly an hour from other stations.
Others regular train riders say that working from home would only be a temporary solution, and not an ideal one. Nadine Wiesel, who travels into the city two or three times a week from Lynbrook, said she would likely work remotely during a strike, but prefers being in person.
“I don’t think the strike is justified,” Wiesel said. “How much more can we be asked to pay? The fares are already so high.”
David Ofman, of Woodmere, said he would likely take an alternative route into the city if trains stopped running. “I would have to drive to Beach Channel and catch the ferry, which takes me to the financial district,” he said. “The drive to the ferry is 25 minutes each way for me. It’s a very pleasant ride, and it’s cheaper, at $5.80 round trip, but it has much less time options.”
“I am confident that each side has valid issues,” Ofman added of the LIRR and its employees. “I will deal with the disruption.”
While remote work may offer a short-term solution, some commuters said it lacks the structure and in-person interaction they rely on during a typical workweek.
What’s at stake
Railroad workers’ pay and working conditions are at the center of the dispute. Union leaders are seeking a retroactive 9.5 percent wage increase for the past three years, and a 5 percent raise going forward.
The MTA, meanwhile, is offering raises, but wants changes to work rules and productivity standards in return, saying it must control costs and protect the system’s long-term financial stability.
Two Presidential Emergency Boards were convened between September 2025 and March 2026 to help resolve the dispute between the LIRR and a coalition of five rail unions representing a majority of its workforce. Both boards sided with the unions, rejecting the MTA’s proposed work rule changes and recommending wage increases, helping to set the stage for the current standoff.
More than 3,500 workers are represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers–Transportation Division; the Transportation Communications Union/IAM; the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Michael Sullivan, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said that frustration is mounting among union leaders as negotiations have stalled in recent weeks, with no follow-up meetings currently scheduled.
“I’m frustrated because we didn’t really speak about anything of substance, and they were not able to even put anything on the calendar,” Sullivan said of the MTA. “They said that they would reach out to us, and they have not.”
Sullivan added that the unions believe that recent recommendations from the federal mediation boards should serve as a foundation for a deal, and that labor has already adjusted its position, while the MTA has yet to respond with a counteroffer.
“We believe that we moved a lot off of our position twice, and they have not moved at all,” he said.
Urging negotiations to continue
The two sides last met on March 20, continuing negotiations under federal oversight after months of delays that have repeatedly pushed back the possibility of a strike — which would be the LIRR’s first since 1992.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber stressed the financial impact of a potential walkout and urged continued negotiations.
“It is insane for us to have a strike, not just because of the harm it does to Long Islanders and to their economy, but because three days of a strike will wipe out 1.1 percent of wage raises that you are fighting for,” he said, directing his comments to union members. “The nurses just finished a strike, and they had it for several weeks. And it’s no secret that a lot of people lost the value of several years of wage increases because of the duration of the strike.
“So, what we said to them is, look out for your members,” Lieber continued. “We understand you’re fighting for compensation. But let’s sit down and figure out how do we give you a little bit more money than maybe the pattern increases and offset it with some productivity improvements.”
LIRR President Rob Free said that the findings of the Presidential Emergency Boards acknowledged the need to address work rules, even if they were not included in the final recommendations. “They also did cite that … it was a good idea to talk about a couple of the work rules,” Free said.
Federal mediation has helped prevent a strike so far. In September, a potential walkout was avoided when federal officials stepped in and both sides agreed to continue negotiating during a cooling-off period.
If no agreement is reached by midnight on May 16, workers would be allowed to strike, a move that could disrupt commutes for more than 270,000 daily riders.
However, under New York state’s Public Employees’ Fair Employment Act, more commonly known as the Taylor Law, strikes by MTA workers are illegal. The law, enacted in 1967 following a transit strike in 1966, prohibits public employees from walking off the job, and instead provides alternative methods for resolving labor disputes. It also carries penalties for violations, including fines and loss of pay for workers and their unions.
