New Yorkers bracing for commuter chaos as LIRR workers remain on strike
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers are bracing for commuter chaos on Monday as service on the busiest commuter railroad in North America remains suspended due to a labor strike by rail workers.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Sunday presented a contingency plan to use shuttle buses to transport essential workers from Long Island into New York City and back home, as well as other arrangements that are being made to help commuters who rely on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR).
The job action marks the first time in 32 years that LIRR workers have walked off the job.
"For the first time in 30 years, hundreds of thousands of people who rely on the LIRR are without service because of a strike," Hochul said at a news conference on Sunday. "We all know that the railroad is the lifeblood of Long Island. Without it, life as we know it is simply not possible."
"No one wins in a strike," Hochul said. "Everyone is hurt."
The LIRR came to a halt at midnight Saturday after the union representing thousands of rail workers and the MTA failed to agree on a new contract.
Kevin Sexton, the national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), one of the five unions representing more than 3,500 LIRR workers, told reporters on Saturday that he and other leaders could not come to an agreement over salary increases and health care costs before the negotiation deadline ended.
"We are far apart at this point and we feel it's unnecessary because we went through the process," Sexton said.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told reporters Sunday that the MTA refuses to make a deal that forces riders and taxpayers to fund wage increases for workers who, he contended, are already the highest-paid railroad employees in the nation.
Nearly 300,000 daily commuters are affected by the strike, according to the MTA.
The last strike was in 1994 and lasted two days before workers agreed to the new contract.
Hochul said the strike will hurt railroad employees due to lost wages.
"Just three days of a strike would erase every dollar of additional salary that workers would receive under a new contract," Hochul said.
Hochul urged both sides to resume negotiations immediately "to get a deal done."
Speaking directly to striking LIRR workers, Hochul said, "The work you do is absolutely vital. I value your labor and I believe that you deserve fair wages and benefits. But this strike has put all of that at risk."
The governor said that starting at 4 a.m. on Monday, the MTA will deploy shuttle buses to get essential workers from Long Island to New York City subway stations in Queens. She further said that the parking lot at Citi Field in Queens will be open and available for people to park and take the subway into the city.
She urged people to work from home if they can.
"It's impossible to fully replace LIRR service. So, effective Monday, I'm asking that regular commuters who can work from home should. Please do so. And employers should make every accommodation necessary to allow for remote work," Hochul said.
While reasserting his belief that the LIRR is a great place to work, Lieber said on Saturday that the MTA cannot have a deal that shifts huge costs to riders, adding, "We can't expect taxpayers to foot the bill either, they're already doing enough."
Hochul echoed Lieber's sentiments, calling the union's demands "unacceptable."
"These unions represent the highest-paid workers of any railroad in the nation, yet they are demanding contracts that could raise fares as much as 8%, pit workers against one another, and risk tax hikes for Long Islanders," Hochul said in a statement Saturday. "My priority is protecting affordability for riders and ensuring fairness across the workforce."
On Saturday evening, the LIRR unions called it an "open-ended strike" and said no talks had been scheduled for the day.
The unions also confirmed to ABC that, despite claims in Hochul's post, MTA officials had not reached out to them about negotiations.
The U.S. Department of Transportation blamed Hochul and Lieber on Saturday for the strike.
"MTA and Kathy Hochul’s failure to ensure LIRR’s continuous service exposes the MTA's dysfunction and Janno Lieber’s failed leadership," a DOT spokesperson said in a statement to ABC.
Sexton, the union official, said there's not another round of negotiations scheduled and he doesn’t know how long the strike will last. When asked if he had a message to riders, Sexton replied, "We are truly sorry that we are in this position."
"These riders are our friends, our neighbors. They live in our communities. We understand the service that the LIRR provides," he said.
The MTA said it is also rolling out contingency plans to help all LIRR commuters, including providing free shuttle buses on Monday, if the strike continues, to select New York City subway stations in Queens.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards told New York City ABC station WABC on Saturday that he predicts that there will be "chaos" at those stations on Monday.
"That's not enough when our buses are overcrowded," Richards said of the shuttle bus plan.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is monitoring the situation and working with various agencies to mitigate the impact.
"New Yorkers should prepare for heavier-than-usual traffic, crowded transit options and additional travel time," he said in a statement.
-ABC News' Clara McMichael and Mark Crudele contributed to this report.
