Sign in Subscribe
Mediation

Long Island Rail Road Workers Threaten Strike, Posing Danger to Commuters

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As the largest commuter railroad in the country, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) serves 300,000 riders daily. Workers from five unions are now threatening to go on strike, which would cripple the railroad and leave riders with few alternatives. The potential walkout comes just four months after NJ Transit's locomotive engineers went on strike, causing widespread disruptions to commuters and services. While the outcome is uncertain, one thing is clear: a strike would have a devastating impact on Long Island residents who rely heavily on mass transit.

Key Takeaways:

  • The LIRR serves 300,000 daily riders, making it the country's busiest commuter railroad.
  • The five unions threatening a strike have been without a new contract for three years, seeking raises in line with inflation.
  • MTA officials say agreeing to the union's demands would force the agency to increase fares beyond the current 4% biannual increases.
  • Gov. Kathy Hochul has criticized the National Mediation Board for allowing the workers to walk away from the table, effectively setting the stage for a walkout.
  • The union's current demands include a 16% raise that the MTA claims it cannot afford.
  • Schoolteachers would be forced to find alternative ways to get to work if the LIRR were to shut down, as would nurses and other essential workers who rely on the railroad.
  • LIRR commuter Sharon Hersh echoed the sentiment, saying that a strike would "deflate" her business, which relies on daily riders from the city.
  • Gerard Brigmann, an advocate for LIRR riders on the MTA board, warned that the MTA's shuttle buses during a 1987 strike were "a nightmare," with buses not always leaving on time and not always going where riders wanted to go.

Statistics:

  • 300,000: daily riders utilizing the Long Island Rail Road.
  • 4 years: duration of being without a new contract for the five unions threatening a strike.
  • 3 years: duration of negotiations for a new contract between the MTA and the unions.
  • 16%: the percentage increase in wages sought by the unions.
  • 300,000: daily riders affected by the potential LIRR strike.
  • 4%: biannual increase in fares.

Sources:

  • gothamist.com/news/nj-transit-rail-service-shuts-down-as-workers-go-on-historic-strike
  • gothamist.com/news/nj-transit-strike-foists-riders-onto-amtrak-which-charges-70-for-a-17-minute-ride
  • gothamist.com/news/lirr-workers-threaten-strike-over-new-contract

Read more