Editorial | Lessons learned from the LIRR strike to avoid a bigger one in NYC | amNewYork

"The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike had been resolved, with both the MTA and a consortium of railroad workers coming to a fair deal, as Gov. Kathy Hochul put it. It was a brief yet fierce battle between the consortium seeking better wages for the workers, among the highest-paid transit employees in the nation, and a budget-conscious MTA looking to avoid passing on extra costs to commuters. While both sides claim victory in this battle, there were two clear losers in it: The local economy, and the commuter."

"Three days without LIRR service cost the region an estimated $183 million in economic activity, according to estimates from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Businesses lost customers, employers lost productivity from employees who had to deal with longer commutes, and commuters lost precious time during those commutes that could have been better spent doing just about anything else. Thankfully, the strike was brief enough that the damage was limited, and recovery will happen quickly."

"But with this hurdle cleared, the MTA now faces an even bigger challenge ahead: Negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, which represents tens of thousands of workers who keep the city's subways and buses in motion every hour of every day. The most recent CBA expired on May 16, the same day of the LIRR strike. The TWU has yet to announce any related actions, but the tension between the union and management has been growing in recent months."

"Unlike the LIRR unions, it's not as easy for the TWU to potentially declare a strike. The state's Taylor Law prohibits such job actions for subway and bus workers, who are considered essential. The last time the TWU went on strike was in December 2005; it lasted roughly 2 days, but the union was fined $10 million. No one can afford a transit strike in New York not the union, not the MTA, not the mayor or governor, and most importantly, not"

The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended after an agreement between the MTA and a consortium of railroad workers. The dispute centered on wages and costs, with workers seeking better pay and the MTA aiming to avoid additional expenses passed to commuters. The strike produced clear losses for the local economy and commuters, with an estimated $183 million in lost economic activity. Businesses lost customers, employers lost productivity from longer commutes, and commuters lost time. Recovery is expected to be relatively quick because the disruption was brief. The MTA then faces a larger challenge negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with TWU Local 100, whose contract expired May 16. Taylor Law restricts subway and bus strikes, and the last TWU strike in 2005 resulted in a $10 million fine.

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