The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike came to an end late Monday night after five unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a tentative agreement, restoring relief for commuters across Long Island, including Rockville Centre.
Union and MTA representatives announced the deal after negotiations resumed in the afternoon and continued into the night, ending the work stoppage that had halted service and caused widespread travel disruptions across Long Island and New York City.
“We have good news tonight,” said Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and spokesman for the Long Island Rail Road Bargaining Coalition. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.”
Sexton said details of the agreement would not be released immediately, citing the need for member review ahead of ratification votes. However, public radio station WNYC reported that the four-year deal includes retroactive pay and expires in July 2027.
“Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics,” he said. “What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region.”
He added that premature disclosure of details could complicate ratification.
“We don’t want to fail ratification,” Sexton said. “If they get part of this story through the media, it may impact their decision.”
The agreement is now subject to a 30-day period in which union members will review and vote on the tentative deal before it becomes official.
The shutdown began after five railroad unions went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following the expiration of a federally mandated cooling-off period. The work stoppage led to widespread delays across Long Island, with shuttle buses operating on limited routes and commuters urged to work remotely where possible.
Sexton also said tensions escalated late in negotiations Friday night when the MTA introduced proposed health care contributions for newly hired employees, an issue he said had not previously been part of bargaining discussions.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the agreement was reached after continued bargaining focused on balancing worker pay with affordability for commuters and taxpayers.
“The contract achieved two principles: protecting affordability for Long Islanders and commuters while giving fair wages to the employees,” she said.
The LIRR began restoring service Tuesday at noon, with limited hourly service on four main branches before expanding systemwide later in the day. The contingency bus service that operated during the shutdown continued Tuesday morning before being phased out as train service ramped up.
Hochul said roughly 3,500 LIRR employees would receive raises under the agreement, while fare and tax increases would not be part of the deal.
“I’m not going to allow taxes or fares to go up,” she said. “Period. Full stop. Got it done.”
Officials said additional details on full system restoration were expected as crews completed inspections, repositioned equipment and returned employees to scheduled assignments.
It was the first Long Island Rail Road strike since June 17, 1994, when a walkout lasted just two days.
Village residents and local business owners reflected on the shutdown’s impact and the return to normal service.
“Railroad workers are way overpaid for what they do,” Rockville Centre resident Matthew Trani said on Facebook. “They should be fired.”
At the same time, local businesses that rely on commuter traffic felt the effects of shifting travel patterns. Front Street Bakery, located just across from the train station, was closed Monday but still saw a noticeable change in customer flow during the brief disruption.
Co-owner Lisa Acerno said business picked up Tuesday as more people stayed local.
“Today we were definitely much busier because I think a lot of people were working from home,” she said. “Tomorrow I think we’ll be back to regular customers coming in in the morning before they get on the train.”
Acerno also reflected on the broader impact of the strike on the community.
“Hopefully this doesn’t happen again,” she said.
The first train to arrive in Rockville Centre Tuesday reached Track 2 at 12:45 p.m. on its way to Massapequa. Wantagh resident John Vitali was waiting for that train.
When the strike first began, he was unaware service had been shut down and decided to take the bus to his destination.
“There were a lot of people,” Vitali said. “I felt like everyone was very confused about what they should do, but I figured it out.”
Several commuters were returning to work after the struggles they faced during their commute over the past few days, including Rockville Centre resident Ray Ortiz.
Ortiz, whose employer allowed him to report to work later on Tuesday, had taken the bus the day prior. What is usually a 35-minute commute turned into a two-and-a-half-hour odyssey to New York City.
“I was supposed to take a bus,” he said. “I did that yesterday. I’m not doing that again.”
