Hochul Pleads With Unions as Long Island Railroad Strike Enters Day 2
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul urged Long Island Rail Road unions on Sunday to return to bargaining as the long island railroad strike entered its second day. The railroad stopped running just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job.
Hochul said at a news conference, "This is my official invitation. We didn't want you to leave. You left. You're welcome to come back. I'll provide refreshments, whatever you like. Just c'mon back," and added, "We all know that the railroad is the lifeblood of Long Island. Without it, life as we know it is simply not possible. The bottom line is, no one wins in a strike. Everyone is hurt."
Hochul Sunday Appeal
The governor said the unions should come back before Monday's morning commute. Her plea followed months of negotiations between the unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on a new contract that stalled over workers' salaries and healthcare premiums.
The Long Island Rail Road serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, and the shutdown hit North America's largest commuter rail system. For commuters who rely on that network each day, the fight now sits on the narrow question of whether the sides can move back to the table before another weekday rush.
Talks Stalled Over Pay
Janno Lieber, the MTA chairman, said the agency had "gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay." Kevin Sexton, the national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said on Saturday, "We're far apart at this point," and added, "We are truly sorry that we are in this situation."
Sexton also said no new negotiations had been scheduled on Saturday. The unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, after the railroad ceased operations just after midnight Friday.
LIRR Strike Since 1994
The walkout is the first for the LIRR in three decades and the first since a two-day strike in 1994. That makes the dispute the rare kind that stops service across a system built around daily commuting rather than a single event or one-time disruption.
For riders, the immediate issue is not the size of the labor fight but whether service returns before the next weekday commute. Hochul has already put her request on the table; the remaining step is whether the unions and the MTA move back into bargaining.
