North America’s largest commuter rail system faces a potential shutdown

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City and its suburbs are bracing for a possible strike by workers on the Long Island Rail Road, the busiest commuter rail system in North America.

Contract negotiations were taking place Friday aimed at reaching a deal that would avert a walkout by locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers.

A strike would force the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system each weekday to either work from home or find alternative routes into New York City from its Long Island suburbs.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the LIRR and other area transit systems, has said it would provide free but limited shuttle buses during the morning and afternoon rush hours. But a strike could put more cars on traffic choked highways, lengthen work commutes and even make it challenging for some sports fans to get into Manhattan to watch the Knicks playoff run or see the Yankees battle the Mets this weekend.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has urged LIRR riders to work from home, if possible, if the strike happens, as the free shuttles are meant for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute.

Dispute over wages

The union has demanded a total raise of 16% over four years, saying it is needed to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs. The MTA argued that the union’s initial demands would lead to fare increases. The authority has agreed to a pay raise of at least 9.5% over the next three years, plus what would effectively amount to a 4.5% raise in year four.

“The difference between those two positions is not unbridgeable,” Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s chief negotiator, suggested during a news conference Wednesday.

“The key question is: Will MTA and Gov. Hochul create frustration and gridlock for commuters, spend millions on buses during a strike and lose millions in revenue over what amounts to roughly a one percent difference in wages?” Nick Peluso, national vice president for the Transportation Communications Union, said in a statement.

Commuters brace for the worst

Susanne Alberto, a personal trainer from Long Island, said she’s already made plans with her Manhattan clients to hold virtual sessions in the event of a shutdown.

She said the union likely has the upper hand, even if she believes raises should be based on job responsibilities and not made across the board.

“The MTA is going to cave, and they know that,” Alberto said. “Why don’t they just do it now instead of waiting until virtually millions of people get inconvenienced?”

Rob Udle, an electrician who takes the LIRR at least five days a week, said he’ll likely use his vacation days rather than navigate the “nightmare” of commuting into Manhattan if the rail service shuts down.

A union member, he sympathized with the unions’ affordability concerns, but said he didn’t agree with their strong-arm tactics.

“I get it, the cost of living is going up and stuff like that,” Udle said while waiting at Penn Station for a train home. “But they shouldn’t hold everybody hostage to do it. There’s a better way. You’re affecting a lot of other people."

A strike was temporarily averted in September when President Donald Trump’s administration agreed to help with negotiations. Those efforts ended without a deal, giving both sides 60 days — ending 12:01 a.m. Saturday — to again try to resolve their differences before the union is legally allowed to go on strike or the agency could lock out workers.

LIRR workers last went on strike in 1994, for about two days.

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