"The Long Island Rail Road that serves the city's eastern suburbs ceased operations early Saturday morning after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job. The two sides have been negotiating for months on a new contract, and President Donald Trump's administration had even interceded to try and broker a deal. But the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday."
"Kevin Sexton of the National Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said no new negotiations have been scheduled. "We're far apart at this point," Sexton said early Saturday. "We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.""
"Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman, said the agency "gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay" and that to him it was apparent the unions always intended to walk out. First LIRR walkout since 1994 The walkout, the first for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994, promises to cause headaches for some sports fans planning to see the crosstown baseball rivals the New York Yankees and Mets battle this weekend or to watch the NBA's New York Knicks playoff run at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan."
"If the shutdown continues past the weekend, the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system to and from work each weekday will be forced to find alternative routes into New York City from its Long Island suburbs. For many, that likely means navigating the region's notoriously congested roads. "People are still going to commute, but if everybody starts driving now, the traffic is only going to get worse," said Rich Piccola, an accountant who commutes into th"
The Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system, stopped operating early Saturday after five unions representing about half its workforce went on strike. Negotiations for a new contract had continued for months, and the Trump administration had intervened to try to broker an agreement, but the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. No new negotiations were scheduled, and both sides described the distance between them. The shutdown is the first LIRR walkout since 1994 and is expected to disrupt weekend plans for sports fans using dedicated LIRR stops. If service continues, about 250,000 weekday riders will need alternative routes, likely increasing road congestion.
#labor-strike #commuter-rail #long-island-rail-road #new-york-city-transit #negotiations-and-contracts
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