The Long Island Rail Road Long Island Rail Road strike entered its third day Monday, bringing the first full weekday shutdown of service and deepening disruptions for commuters who rely on trains to travel into New York City for work.
Service was shut down early Saturday after five railroad unions went on strike at 12:01 a.m. following the expiration of a federally mandated cooling-off period.
The shutdown has since triggered widespread delays and work disruptions across Long Island, with shuttle buses operating on limited routes and commuters urged to work remotely where possible.
Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and spokesperson for the Long Island Rail Road Bargaining Coalition, said the unions were forced to strike after negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down following two days of round-the-clock talks.
“Regrettably, as of 12:01 a.m. this morning, we are striking the Long Island Railroad,” Sexton said at a news conference early Saturday. “This was a management-provoked strike, as far as we are concerned.”
The strike involves unions representing signalmen, electricians, clerks, machinists and locomotive engineers, affecting thousands of workers and disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands of daily riders.
As negotiations stretched toward Friday night’s midnight deadline at MTA headquarters, the two sides remained divided over salary increases in the final year of the proposed contract. Union leaders representing locomotive engineers, electricians, signal workers, machinists and clerks sought a 5 percent raise in the fourth year, while the MTA increased its proposal from 3 percent and included part of the compensation as a lump-sum payment.
Sexton said tensions escalated late in negotiations when the railroad introduced proposed health care contributions for newly hired employees, an issue he said had not previously been part of bargaining discussions.
“Late in the 11th hour, the railroad decided to throw in health care contributions for new employees, which was never discussed in bargaining,” he said.
Michael Sullivan, general chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, also criticized the MTA’s handling of negotiations.
“This strike did not have to happen,” Sullivan said. “The men and women represented by this coalition followed every step of the legal process and prevailed before two independent expert boards.”
Union members began picketing at 7 a.m. Saturday at key locations, including the Babylon and Ronkonkoma stations and Penn Station.
The two sides returned to negotiations Sunday afternoon after the National Mediation Board brought union leaders and MTA officials back together in an effort to restart talks. Negotiations concluded around 1:45 a.m. Monday, but talks resumed again at 7:30 a.m.
Prior to the meeting, Gov. Kathy Hochul said state officials and the MTA remained prepared to continue negotiations and urged union leaders to return to the bargaining table.
“Let me be clear, I did not want a strike. The MTA did not want a strike,” Hochul said. “No one wins in a strike. Everyone is hurt.”
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber added that the authority remained open to further talks with union leaders.
“We have always been willing to continue negotiations,” he said. “We sat there in the hallway so they couldn’t even avoid seeing us — we were available to talk to them right up to and through the deadline.”
Lieber also said the MTA remained willing to continue negotiations but maintained that the authority could not agree to a contract that would create major financial burdens for riders.
“We were more than willing to meet them halfway on wages,” he said. “We need the unions to respond to our ideas and come up with ideas and work with us.”
Lieber said it would take roughly 24 hours to restore full Long Island Rail Road service once a strike deal is reached. The delay is necessary to inspect tracks, reposition equipment and return train crews to their assigned locations before normal operations can resume.
Hochul also defended the MTA’s position Sunday, saying the authority could not agree to contracts that would “raise fares as much as 8 percent and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders.”
In response to the shutdown, the MTA activated a contingency plan that includes limited weekday shuttle bus service for essential workers and commuters unable to work remotely.
Shuttle buses began operating around 4 a.m. Monday during peak commuting hours between six Long Island locations — Bay Shore, Hempstead Lake State Park near the Lakeview station, Hicksville, Huntington, Mineola and Ronkonkoma — and subway connection points in Queens, including the Howard Beach–JFK Airport A train station and the Jamaica-179th Street F train station.
Nassau County riders were also urged to consider NICE Bus service as an alternative connection to subway stations in Queens, while commuters were encouraged to use the 7 subway line from Citi Field parking areas. Citi Field is charging $6 per day for parking while the New York Mets are on the road this week.
Hochul urged commuters who are able to work remotely to stay home during the strike.
“I’m asking that regular commuters who can work from home should,” she said. “Please do so. And employers should make every accommodation necessary to allow for remote work.”
She added that there is “no legal mechanism” to suspend congestion pricing in New York City during the strike.
As the strike deadline neared, commuters at the Rockville Centre train station weighed the potential impact on their daily routines. While several residents said they had arranged to work remotely if necessary, resident Katy Fosso said she sympathized with railroad workers.
“They work really hard,” Fosso said. “I know a few people who work for the railroad, and they work night shifts. They deserve what they’re asking for.”
With commuter traffic sharply reduced, Rockville Centre businesses that typically depend on the morning rush saw an immediate slowdown.
The Front Street Bakery, which is directly across from the station, is closed on Mondays. Co-owner Lisa Acerno had predicted a much lighter crowd if the strike persisted.
“It’s definitely going to impact our business,” she said last Friday, noting that the shop sees steady morning traffic from commuters heading to trains. “If there’s a strike, we’ll have to cut back on certain things we make in the morning.”
Acerno added that the impact could extend well beyond riders themselves.
“People don’t realize not everyone can work remotely,” she said. “It’s going to impact a lot of people and a lot of families.”
At Kaival Deli on North Park Avenue near the train trestle, owner Raj Patel said the drop in morning commuters was immediate and severe.
“It’s been a lot different because usually we are busy in the morning, but now in the morning, it’s like COVID time,” he said.
He said the business has already begun adjusting staffing in response.
Patel added that he expects the disruption to continue until the strike is resolved.
“They’re going to settle soon because they’re losing a lot of money too, so they’re going to settle,” he surmised.
Nearby, at Amazing 21 Convenience & Smoke Shop on North Village Avenue near the train station, employee Hussain said business has slowed dramatically since the strike began.
“Not just this morning, since yesterday, it’s been quiet,” he said. “Not a lot of people walking around, not a lot of cars this morning. So, yeah, it’s been quiet.”
He added that the change has been immediate and stark compared with a normal weekday morning rush.
“Way, way different, yeah,” he said.
Even commuters who work locally in Rockville Centre have felt the effects, including those without access to a car.
“I would have no way to work at all,” Long Island resident Tina Russo commented on Facebook. “I live in Seaford [and] go to Rockville Centre. I do not drive.”
The last Long Island Rail Road strike occurred on June 17, 1994, and lasted two days before a contract settlement was reached.
