A tentative agreement between the MTA and five Long Island Rail Road unions ended the first strike in more than three decades and allowed trains to resume service. LIRR President Rob Free defended the decision to allow the dispute to reach a strike early Saturday. Service began returning at noon Tuesday, with full service restored by 4 p.m. Commuters previously faced remote work, driving amid heavier traffic, or mixed travel using limited shuttles and crowded subways. Free said the agreement would satisfy union members and would not place a burden on taxpayers or ridership. Reports indicate a 4.5% raise for 2026, an extension beyond 12 months, and a $3,000 lump-sum payout.
"A top MTA official defended on Tuesday the agency's tentative deal with five Long Island Rail Road unions that ended their first strike in more than three decades as trains began rolling again at midday. LIRR President Rob Free, during a May 19 news conference at the Jamaica LIRR station ahead of the return to service at noon, stood by the MTA's decision to let the contract dispute boil over into a strike early Saturday. The first trains to hit the rails since May 16 departed from Penn Station, headed for Ronkonkoma, and Grand Central Madison, headed for Massapequa, at noon on Tuesday with full service restored across the LIRR at 4 p.m."
"Although Free did not go into specifics of the accord, he insisted it would satisfy the unions' memberships made up of 3,500 workers without shifting the cost onto riders. You negotiate, you go back and forth and provide different ideas to make it affordable and acceptable, Free said. The unions want to be able to ratify it with their membership. And as the unions said last night, they wouldn't have accepted the deal if they couldn't get it ratified. And we wouldn't have accepted the deal if it put a burden on the taxpayers and the ridership."
"Free's comments came in response to reports from NY1 and The Chief that the tentative agreement includes a 4.5% raise for LIRR workers for 2026, the final year of a four-year contract. Part of the agreement involves extending the contract for a period beyond 12 months, reports indicate. It will also include a $3,000 lump-sum payout in addition to the raise. Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free.(Marc A. Hermann / MTA) The sum is not far below the 5% raise for this year that union bosses wanted, but MTA leadership previously said was not"
#labor-negotiations #lirr-service-restoration #mta-contract-dispute #commuter-impact #union-ratification
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