LIRR strike could start this weekend, strand nearly 300K commuters as fight gets heated

"A Long Island Rail Road strike could strand nearly 300,000 commuters starting this weekend as five labor unions and MTA leaders are at odds over wage increases for the union workers. The looming work stoppage could start as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday as MTA chief Janno Lieber and Gov. Kathy Hochul this week simply advised riders to work from home if workers walk off the job."

""I want to make sure commuters are not inconvenienced and if they have that option [to work from home], they may have to exercise it," Hochul said Wednesday at an unrelated event at Jones Beach. A Long Island Rail Road train at Penn Station. Michael Nagle for NY Post "We do not want to inconvenience commuters, absolutely not, but this is the reality on the ground right now and I want to be very transparent with all them to let them have time to plan for this," she added."

""We're not asking for the moon and stars. We're asking for an agreement that keeps pace with inflation," a source at one of the unions involved in the negotiations told The Post Wednesday. "They're coming up with lump-sum payments rather than putting the money in our wages.""

"The sides have agreed on retroactive raises of 3% in 2023, 3% in 2024 and 3.5% in 2025, but remain apart on the unions' request for a 5% pay raise in 2026. Gary Dellaverson, the MTA's lead labor negotiator, said Wednesday that in recent meetings, the authority has offered individual lump-sum payments over the remaining 12 months of the contract rather than the wage increases the unions are seeking. But union officials argue that lump-sum payments do not raise base pay and would leave workers effectively stuck at 2025 wage levels when the next round of bargaining begins."

A possible Long Island Rail Road strike could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday and strand nearly 300,000 commuters. Five labor unions and MTA leadership are at odds over wage increases for union workers. Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA chief Janno Lieber advised riders to work from home if a work stoppage occurs. Union leaders say higher salaries are needed to keep up with inflation. Negotiations include agreed retroactive raises of 3% in 2023, 3% in 2024, and 3.5% in 2025, while disagreement remains over a requested 5% raise in 2026. The MTA has offered lump-sum payments instead of wage increases, which unions say would not raise base pay.

Read at New York Post