Live updates: LIRR unions strike, shutting down railroad

Dark message: All branches 'suspended systemwide'

It was a surreal sight.

On its website, a URL relied upon by tens of thousands of commuters daily to get where they’re going, every branch of the Long Island Rail Road was reported “suspended.”

Railroad unions went on strike after midnight Saturday. No date has been set for negotiations to resume.

The message at the top of the website, posted at 12:21 a.m. said service “is suspended systemwide because of a strike. Work from home if possible.”

Walking weather to be warm

Many stranded LIRR commuters may find themselves walking much more if the strike continues.

Beginning Saturday, a warming trend is forecast for Long Island and the entire region.

The National Weather Service says afternoon temperatures Saturday will be in the mid-70s and Sunday’s afternoon highs will be in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Monday’s temperatures return to the 70s; Tuesday is forecast to exceed 80, forecasters said.

LIRR workers strike after marathon negotiations come up empty

Long Island Rail Road employees went on strike Saturday for the first time since 1994, after eleventh-hour bargaining between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and labor unions representing 3,500 employees failed to yield a deal.

Union and MTA officials came out of talks shortly after midnight and held separate news conferences, trading accusations of negotiating in bad faith. There was no timetable for the next round of talks and union officials said the sides were "far apart."

Unions said the MTA came in with an "eleventh hour" proposal for new LIRR employees to contribute to their healthcare, while the MTA chairman blasted workers for being the highest paid in the country, making $136,000 a year.

Read the full story about Friday's negotiations that failed to avert a strike.

The last train to Huntington

"This is the last train of the night," an intercom announcement bellowed at Jamaica Station for trains to Ronkonkoma and Huntington, not long after LIRR workers went on strike just past midnight.

Dozens of confused passengers had scrambled onto what they believed was the final train of the night at Penn Station, an 11:37 headed to Jamaica. (Another eventually left Penn at 1:30 a.m.)

At Jamaica, weary passengers waited for the last train to Huntington to arrive shortly before 12:30; others caught their breath after frantically trying to get home on the railroad they had once taken for granted. Commuters rushed up the steps at Jamaica as new track numbers were announced, while they were assured the trains would wait.

Minutes later they were gone with their final passengers on board.

Ticket-takers didn't walk the aisles checking fares after the deadline had passed, effectively giving some passengers a free ride or wasting their paid tickets.

Buying tickets and knowing which trains were coming had become a nearly impossible mission as trains seemingly ran at random, compounded by damage from an Amtrak track fire the day before.

Cruz Chavez, 18, of Huntington, rode with his friends from Brooklyn after catching the last train of the night at Jamaica.

He said they had looked for an Uber, with fares topping $100. "It was hectic and very stressful," Cruz said.

The last train arrived at Huntington at 1:12 a.m., stranding some customers who were attempting to get to Port Jefferson and even Long Beach.

Laura Ladekarl, 22, of Brooklyn, was trying to go to a friend's graduation at Stony Brook. After arriving in Huntington, she waited for a friend to pick her up.

She hadn't realized the strike could disrupt train service beyond the weekend, and didn't have an immediate plan to get home.

"They told me if you don't come tonight, you may not come at all," Ladekarl said.

With Janon Fisher

Picketers at Ronkonkoma station

Union members began picketing at LIRR stations soon after their leaders left talks and announced a strike against the railroad. 

Close to 50 were out with signs in front of the Ronkonkoma station. 

Hochul criticizes LIRR unions' 'reckless' strike

Gov. Kathy Hochul, after staying far from the final days of negotiations, weighed in on the LIRR strike early Saturday, calling the unions' decision "reckless."

“The LIRR is more stable now than it has been for generations. The decision by some unions to strike over demands that would threaten that progress is reckless," Hochul said in a written statement.

"These unions represent the highest paid workers of any railroad in the nation, yet they are demanding contracts that could raise fares as much as 8%, pit workers against one another, and risk tax hikes for Long Islanders. This is unacceptable."

Hochul also blamed President Donald Trump's administration for "cut[ting] mediation short and push[ing] these negotiations toward a strike."

Hochul's Republican opponent for governor, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, has blamed Hochul for the strike.

The strike, the LIRR's first since 1994, is poised to cause massive disruption to commuters if it stretches into next workweek.

"I believe a deal can be done and I urge both the MTA and these unions to return to the table and bargain non-stop until a deal is reached.”

MTA: Union trying to force 'bad deal' for taxpayers

In their first public statements about the LIRR strike, MTA leaders said the union is using commuters to try to compel the agency into a "bad deal."

“We can’t expect taxpayers to foot the bill,” MTA Chair Janno Lieber said just before 12:30 a.m., standing outside the agency’s Manhattan headquarters. “Their strategy is to inconvenience Long Islanders and try to force the MTA and the state to do a bad deal.”

Union leaders had just told reporters that the two sides were "far apart." This is the first LIRR strike since 1994.

Picket lines have already begun at Penn Station and Ronkonkoma, union leaders said. Others will form beginning at 7am Saturday.

The next round of talks are not yet scheduled, said Kevin Sexton, spokesman for the union bargaining committee.

With Janon Fisher

LIRR strike is on; 'We are far apart,' union says

The nation’s busiest commuter railroad is officially shut down.

LIRR workers are on strike, halting a train system that serves 275,000 riders each weekday.

“We are far apart at this point,” said Kevin Sexton, spokesman for the bargaining committee, outside the MTA headquarters just after midnight. “We do not know the duration of the strike.”

After another marathon day of negotiations with 12 hours at the table, both sides were at a stalemate on fourth-year pay for LIRR workers.

Saturday’s announcement marks the first LIRR strike since 1994. That strike lasted two days.

A spokesman for Gov. Kathy Hochul did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Unions: LIRR workers on strike

Kevin Sexton, spokesman for the bargaining committee, told reporters just after 12 a.m. Saturday that the LIRR strike had started.

Clock strikes midnight. Will strike follow?

A midnight deadline for MTA managers and LIRR union leaders to strike a deal came and went with no announcement on Friday.

LIRR workers were set to strike as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday, shutting down service for hundred of thousands of commuters.

Just before midnight, an MTA source told Newsday that the unions had left the talks at MTA headquarters in lower Manhattan, after more than 12 hours at the negotiating table.

With Alfonso A. Castillo

Not the kind of strike they came to see

Victoria and Christian Smith of Glen Oaks, Queens, are Yankees fans who came to Citi Field for the Subway Series game Friday and were on the LIRR platform looking to get home at 11:28 pm.

They enjoyed the Yankees' 5-2 win but had only questions about the impending strike.

“We didn’t really think about it when we came in,” Christian said. “We were excited about the game and not considering a scenario of getting home if it’s 2 a.m."

“We’ve been look at our app and it just says to try to complete our travel by midnight,” Victoria said.

The Smiths had crafted a contingency plan.

Christian’s parents still live in Flushing and they could take a 7 train there to stay over.

Some awaiting trains into Penn Station said that the last scheduled one they expected never arrived.

Few answers from remaining LIRR workers

With LIRR service already limited from the tunnel fire a day earlier, Penn Station had little sign of railroad workers as the possible strike approached Friday night.

A lone LIRR customer service rep and MTA police officer were inside one of the few remaining trains at Penn Station Friday night, and suggested to some patrons going to Grand Central Madison before midnight if they wanted more service options.

Trains to Port Washington and Ronkonkoma appeared to be leaving every half hour, but there was no set schedule at Penn Station. MTA Police suggested boarding the next train to Ronkonkoma and transferring at Jamaica.

Several commuters were confused on how to get home.

"It's 10 o'clock and where is everybody," said Mike Smyth, a retired court officer from Long Beach.

He had just seen Jazz at Lincoln Center and came into the station wondering when the next train would leave.

"The strike isn't hard until midnight, but there are no Long Island Rail Road people here."

By 10:30 p.m., several commuters came up to Newsday reporters asking for train schedule information because the information booth was temporarily unmanned. When the worker checked into the booth, she said that she was unaware of any future trains leaving from Penn Station.

The attendant at the ticket booth said she was also unaware of any future departure, though a 10:42 train to Huntington was on the board.

There doesn't appear to be any additional LIRR staff working to answer questions, despite the irregular departure schedule.

Rushing to make the last trains

Nassau will run extra buses, Blakeman says

The MTA will have shuttle buses going from six LIRR stations — Bay Shore, Hicksville, Huntington, Mineola, Ronkonkoma and near Lakeview — to Jamaica-179th Street or Howard Beach-Kennedy Airport subway stations. Buses will run every 10 minutes on weekdays from 4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. heading west, and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. heading east. MTA chief financial officer Jai Patel said between 165 and 275 buses could be secured for the contingency plan, costing the MTA $325,000 to $550,000 per day.

Asked by Newsday what Nassau was doing to prepare for a possible LIRR strike, County Executive Bruce Blakeman said through a spokesman, “All county parks have large parking lots which can be used for carpooling.”

“NICE Bus will have extra buses on existing routes to handle overload in the event of a strike,” he added.

'It's going to be hard'

Patricia Brown, a director of social work programs who lives in Brentwood, leaned against a column in front of the entrances to the LIRR trains at Penn Station Friday, waiting — and hoping, she said — for the 9:02 p.m. train.

She said she didn't have enough information about the strike to know if the commuter rail workers deserved more money.

"I don't know what they make," she said, but noted: "The staffers are always cordial."

If the strike happens, she said she'd work from home.

"I'm not taking the bus," she said.

Her current commute takes a little over an hour.

"I could work from home for a couple of days," Brown told Newsday.

"It's going to be hard," she said about the journey without the LIRR.

She said she took a $20 cab ride to Grand Central Terminal Thursday night to get home because of the fire inside an Amtrak tunnel.

By the end of a conversation with a reporter, she was reconsidering the bus.

"I guess I would take the bus to Jamaica and then transfer to the subway. I'm not driving. Driving would be insane with gas, tolls and parking"

The standoff, summarized

As the clock ticks down to a possible LIRR strike, catch up on Newsday transportation reporter Alfonso A. Castillo's last comprehensive recap of the standoff between the MTA and railroad workers, which summed up the heart of the dispute, as it stood at the start of the day:

MTA officials have expressed concern that giving in to the LIRR unions’ demands could result in other, larger unions wanting the same terms — potentially breaking the bank for the MTA.

To keep costs down, the MTA wants to pay LIRR raises in a fourth year of their contract using a one-time lump sum. The unions have dismissed that offer as a “gimmick" and are insisting on raises.

. . .

The unions rejected the same deal already accepted by most other MTA unions, including some at the LIRR. That three-year agreement gave workers raises of 3% in each of the first two years, and 3.5% in the third year. That pay will be retroactive, since the first year of the contract dates back to 2023.

Arguing that the raises don’t keep up with the high cost of living increases in recent years, nor with raises handed out to workers at other major railroads, the unions have demanded a fourth year at 5%.

An ominous sign?

A sign at Penn Station, shortly after 8 p.m. Friday, refers to the service suspension due to Thursday's Amtrak tunnel fire, but also tips to what may come if the LIRR strike begins at midnight.

'Complete all travel before midnight'

The TrainTime app, where most LIRR riders buy their tickets, warned of the possible strike, as well as the limited trains due to Thursday's fire in a Penn Station Amtrak tunnel.

The app is not allowing passengers to buy tickets for any trains Friday night out of Penn Station. LIRR ticket takers and staff at Grand Central Madison said they were not aware of any outbound trains running out of Penn.

The app also warned travelers “to complete all travel before midnight.”

The advisory noted “any trains in service before midnight will continue to their final destination,” listing the final trains in and out of Penn, Grand Central, Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal.

Meanwhile, Ejiah Santiago, 29, of West Hempstead waited in Grand Central for a train Friday as public announcements made the same warning as the TrainTime app.

An Army recruiter, he usually takes the train to Jamaica but if there’s a strike, he says he can figure out how to get to work.

“Soldiers look out for each other,” Santiago said. “I can always car pool, or use a government vehicle to get to work. It’s an inconvenience.”

Santiago said he hopes the “higher ups” negotiating will “figure it out.”

If there’s a strike, “it’s going to be chaos,” Santiago said. “The buses are going to be packed, no one’s going to get anywhere on time.”

— John Asbury and Ted Phillips

A fear of gridlock as strike approaches

Katie Rose travels on the LIRR up to three times a week for her job with a beauty company. But her biggest concern with the possible strike isn’t being unable to get into Manhattan. It’s the fear of “gridlock” because of many LIRR passengers who may drive to work.

Rose, 42, of Massapequa Park, visits stores that sells her company’s products, and some are as far as New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“Getting there will be very bad,” she said Friday evening from Penn Station.

She worries about traffic jams even to go grocery shopping.

Rose’s father worked for the MTA, so she has sympathy for the workers.

“I hope they’re treated fairly,” she said. “Anyone right now needs a raise.”

But, she said, she also sees the MTA’s point about not being able to afford too generous a raise.

“I hope they work it out,” she said.

Fire-damaged tunnel at Penn Station is restored, Amtrak says

The Penn Station tunnel damaged in a fire on Thursday is restored, a spokesman for Amtrak said Friday evening.

Full service would resume at 5 a.m. on Saturday — but that would only assist the LIRR commute if a strike is averted or delayed.

MTA spokesman Lucas Bejarano did not immediately comment on whether service would resume Saturday at 5 a.m. absent a strike.

Amtrak, which owns and operates Penn Station and the damaged tunnel, said the fire started at 11:22 a.m. Thursday.

The FDNY said more than 80 firefighters responded, needing power cut to the third rail before they were able to deal with the blaze and smoke conditions.

With Matthew Chayes

Balls and strikes: Despite possible workers' walkout, Yankees, Mets fans head to Citi Field

Dozens of passengers, including Yankees and Mets fans, boarded trains Friday evening in Huntington heading into the city for the Subway Series on trains to Jamaica and Grand Central.

Andreas Psarris, 18, of Huntington Station, was boarding a train to Grand Central to go to a festival in Astoria.

Psarris, a train enthusiast wearing an LIRR hat with a Metrocard pin, said he planned to be back to Huntington by midnight. "My weekend plans may be disrupted, but I'll find a way to get there," Psarris said, ahead of his tickets to Saturday's game at Citi Field.

He said he supported the LIRR unions fight for a new contract.

"The MTA had months to get their act together and find a way to pay employees," Psarris said. "The MTA can afford what the unions are asking for, but it may cost us with the railroad. They shouldn't be raising fares."

Port Washington commuter looks forward to going back 'to normal'

Everton Wallace of Port Washington commutes four days a week to his job in a downtown bank. But his employer is allowing him and other employees who work on Long Island to work from home if there’s a strike.

“They suggested it,” he said. “They’re good about that. They understand what’s going on.”

Even so, Wallace, 66, who said he likes going into the office, hopes for a quick end if the strike starts just after midnight. “You want things to go back to normal,” he said.

Late Friday afternoon, his biggest complaint was a lack of information about service disruptions from Thursday’s fire in a Penn Station tunnel, which has disrupted riders' commutes since then. An electronic sign listed some trains that are departing, but not all. He had to ask an MTA employee when the next train to Port Washington was likely going to depart.

“The worst thing is there’s nothing,” he said. “Even the app doesn’t give you any useful information.”

Hicksville rider says MTA should do more to inform Spanish speakers

Santo Cuevas didn’t know about the impending LIRR strike until late Friday afternoon, when he heard two men speaking in Spanish near Penn Station about it.

“I didn’t know if it was true,” Cuevas, 70, said in Spanish. “It was just something I heard in the street.”

The Dominican immigrant, a cleaner at a Manhattan restaurant, said the MTA should be notifying Spanish speakers of the strike possibility. “There should be publicity in Spanish,” the Hicksville resident said. “There are so many Hispanics here.”

The MTA also wasn’t giving enough information about service disruptions because of Thursday’s fire, said Cuevas, who sat against a post in Penn wondering when he could get home to Hicksville.

He looked expectantly at an electronic board, hoping that his train would appear on the list of departing trains amid a list that mostly showed routes with “No passengers.”

Director of citizens advisory committee to the MTA urges 2 sides to find 'consensus'

The executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, Lisa Daglian, on Friday said the group appreciates contingency plans for a possible strike, but said the MTA and LIRR unions should come to an agreement to a contract to save headaches for commuters. 

“All Long Island Rail Road commuters are waiting with bated breath to find out if there will be a strike. It's unsettling to say the least and beyond disappointing that we've gotten to this point. At the end of the day, riders want to get where they're going without worrying about whether they'll be able to get to work on Monday, or increased fares or reduced service down the road," Daglian said in a statement.

"Of course there is no substitute for the service the LIRR provides. Coming to consensus on a contract is in the best interest of the entire region —riders, labor, and the fiscal health of the LIRR and the MTA as a whole," she added. 

MTA: Shuttle buses will run, but hold only a fraction of trains' capacity

LIRR and MTA officials did not provide updates on contract negotiations during a 4:30 p.m. news conference beyond that the two sides continue to talk.

They otherwise are laying down plans in case of a strike, the LIRR's president, Rob Free, told reporters.

The MTA said it would use shuttle buses to substitute if there is a strike, but noted that those would not be able to handle the typical capacity of trains.

The Long Island Rail Road contingency shuttles can accommodate roughly 10% of the average daily commuter load, said MTA chief customer service officer Shanifah Rieara.

She said the buses can take 13,000 people in the morning rush and the same number in the evening rush. That's a fraction of the roughly 135,000 people who ride the trains on the average workday. Officials added that shuttle buses should be left for essential workers.

Free said that the unions have assured the MTA that workers would stay on the job if they are working aboard trains running past midnight.

MTA releases list of last trains in case of strike

The MTA is telling commuters that if the strike does begin at at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, LIRR trains in service before midnight Friday "will continue to their final destination." But the the agency is nonetheless recommending that riders conclude their trip before midnight.

At a 4:30 news conference, the LIRR's president, Rob Free, said commuter rail officials are “planning for an orderly shutdown.”

“The trains will make it to their final destination,” he said.

The MTA asking riders to consult the TrainTime app to plan their trips. 

Click on this link for the list of last trains.

Strike won't be music to his ears

Ben Altos, 45, said that workers should not go on strike and bring train service to a halt. Altos, a musician, said he relies on the LIRR to get from his home in Brooklyn to his gigs in Suffolk County.

Altos said he would have to stop working. He does not own a car, and an Uber from Brooklyn to Suffolk costs around $500 round trip, he said.

“I wouldn’t come back until they run the trains again,” he said. “I would be losing too much money.”

LIRR announces service changes as afternoon rush nears

The LIRR says westbound trains will not be stopping at Penn Station, according to an alert posted on X.

"Most Penn Station trains will be rerouted to/from Grand Central or Atlantic Terminal, or will start/end in Jamaica. There will be no westbound service to Penn Station," read the message. 

The LIRR warns that the changes will not show on its app. On Thursday, a fire inside the East Side tunnel forced its closure until repairs are made. 

Looming strike coming ahead of next week's commencement at Stony Brook University

Alex Petty, a staffer at Stony Brook University’s arts center, commutes to campus on the LIRR every day from Queens.

He said if the service is shut down next week he’s not sure what he’ll do to make it back for graduation next week.

“Next week is commencement, so it’s a really big thing for a lot of the students, but also I have to be here to make sure commencement can happen with my co-workers,” he said at the Stony Brook LIRR station on Friday afternoon. “I have no idea what I am going to do.”

Neither Petty nor his co-workers who live in the city have cars, “so there’s not a great car pooling option,” he said. The Stony Brook staffer said his backup plan is to spend about $150 on a rental car and contend with traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

He said the extra hassle is a small price to pay for union workers to get a good deal, however.

“I’m all for a strong union. If this is what they need to do to protect their livelihood then so be it,” he said. “For me, it’s not going to be the end of my world. I will make it work.” 

As talks continue, MTA expects trains to finish routes even if strike officially starts

Negotiations remain ongoing, according to MTA spokesman Mike Cortez. He was unable to provide any specific updates when speaking around 2:30 p.m.

In the event of a strike, the MTA expects trains that leave its starting point before midnight will finish the route, according to Cortez, who cited the practice used for NJ Transit ahead of a work stoppage.

The information could be helpful for those coming back from shows Friday evening or the Subway Series at Citi Field.

What to know about getting to the airports if there is a strike

Both LaGuardia and Kennedy airports took to social media to warn flyers about alternate travel plans if case of an LIRR strike.

Remote work option leaves Patchogue attorney unfazed by LIRR strike

Matthew Nosenchuck, 28, of Patchogue, who takes the train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station five days a week for his job as an attorney, said he’s largely unfazed by the possible strike, thanks to his firm’s plan to let employees work remotely. Nosenchuck said all of his court appearances are virtual so he would not be forced into the city if service is halted.

“I’m generally pro‑union, so if the strike is good for the workers, then ideologically I’m with them,” he said, though he wasn’t familiar with details of the negotiations.

He praised the LIRR’s efforts to keep commuters informed about how a strike would disrupt service, to help blunt any surprise.

Dorothy Peel, 63, of Riverhead, said she occasionally takes the LIRR from Ronkonkoma to get to New York City and to UBS Arena, where she was headed to a New York Islanders season ticketholder event. She said she understands the frustration the looming strike will cause, but sides with the workers.

“I understand it's going to be an inconvenience for however long they need to get their point across," she said.

LIRR service between Penn Station and Jamaica running every half hour

LIRR service between Penn Station and Jamaica will be running every half hour in both directions, the MTA announced as it braces for a strike. 

"Trains are rerouted to/from Grand Central or start/end at Jamaica," read the message. "There is half-hourly service between Penn Station and Jamaica in both directions."

A fire in the East Side tunnel on Thursday snarled the evening rush.

Gov. Hochul pushes MTA and union for union deal in phone call

Gov. Kathy Hochul called Friday morning into the negotiations between the unionized workers and the MTA urging a contract settlement and to avert a strike, according to her transportation spokesman, Sean Butler.

"Governor Hochul called into this morning’s negotiations with one simple message: getting a deal requires both sides to work together, including labor. Nobody wins in a strike — riders will suffer and thousands of workers will lose out on wages they need," Butler said by email.

As governor, Hochul effectively controls the MTA, at whose headquarters the negotiations are underway.

Economic impact of strike

A potential Long Island Rail Road strike would cost the metropolitan area’s economy up to $61 million per day, according to an estimate from state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

The Democrat from Great Neck Plaza said on Friday the economic impact of a strike would be wide-ranging, from lower worker productivity and fewer retail sales, to lost tourism dollars.

DiNapoli’s estimate compares with the $70-million-a-day loss of economic activity projected by the Long Island Association business group. That estimate from LIA chief economist Steven Kent was reported by Newsday earlier this week. It was based on DiNapoli’s projection of a 2014 LIRR strike costing the metropolitan area economy up to $50 million.

"A LIRR strike will be felt far beyond the tracks, triggering the loss of millions of dollars per day in lost economic activity, disrupting thousands of riders and throwing the region’s transit service into chaos and gridlock," DiNapoli said in releasing the 2026 strike estimate.

"I urge the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its union partners to expedite reaching a reasonable settlement so we can avoid the widespread disruption of a strike," he said.

Huntington local loves NYC, but won't go if LIRR shuts down

Deborah Perrone, of Huntington, rides the railroad a few times a month to visit the city.

At the Cold Harbor Spring LIRR station, she told Newsday she took a day off on Friday to make sure she could meet a friend for lunch in New York City and do some shopping before the potential shutdown. She added that she backs the railroad workers union in their contract negotiations. 

“They have to take care of their people — they have to take care of their workers. I 100% support them in this strike. The economy is really rough,” she said at the Cold Spring Harbor station on Friday morning . “But I am going to take care of my business today just in case they have to hold their ground.”

Perrone added that if the railroad does shut down, she will not be making the trek by car.

“I love going into the city, and I will not drive into the city,” she said. “If I’m not going to work, I’m not getting in my car.”

Waiting for his train home to Queens at the Ronkonkoma station, King Horne, 30, also supported MTA workers. 

“It’s tough. I just wish they can just work through it. Just pay the people what they’re worth," said Horne, who uses it at least twice a week to get to his job at a midtown post office. 

He said the strike would complicate both his commute and visits to family and friends on Long Island, calling the LIRR “convenient,” “cleaner” and “much faster” than the subway.

Bracing for longer-than-usual commutes to NYC next week

Kenneth Wasserman, of Cold Spring Harbor, is a transportation consultant who uses the railroad to commute to the city on days he has to be in the office. He mostly works from home, but said he’ll have to make that trek at least three times next week.

“We have people flying in for this [meeting] on Monday and they won’t let us choose a different day. Sometimes you just have things you have to go to, which is crazy because I haven’t been in the city in like three weeks,” he said. “Of course it’s the week they’re doing the strike — really bad timing.”

Wasserman, who spoke to Newsday at the Cold Spring Harbor station on Friday morning, said he had only one “reasonable” commute option if rail service is shut down next week.

“I definitely don’t want to drive all the way in. I think that’s just terrible. And could take an Uber the whole way but that’s also really expensive and terrible,” he said. “The only reasonable option is to take the shuttle bus from Huntington.”

The transportation consultant was uncertain about how badly the alternate commute would affect his schedule, but estimated it would take at least two hours — or twice as long as it normally takes him to travel to work by train — and prevent him from dropping his kids off at daycare.

“I don’t know how long it would take me to drive into Huntington and even just find parking. I don’t know how long the wait is for the shuttle, if there’s going to be a long line to get on the shuttle and then how long that’s going to take,” he told Newsday.

Wasserman said the MTA and workers union “need to come up with a last-minute deal, whatever it takes.”

“I’m really hoping they come up with some sort of a deal because it’s just going to be awful for commuters and people are going to hate the railroad,” he said. “It’s just going to hurt everything.”

MTA intends to issue refunds to LIRR ticketholders if strike happens

The MTA posted on its website plans to issue prorated refunds to LIRR riders should a strike take effect. 

"We intend to issue prorated refunds to May monthly ticket holders for any business day that service is suspended due to the strike, pending board approval," the MTA wrote, adding more details on the process will be released. 

The agency also laid out alternate ways of getting around from Nassau County into New York City should the commuter rail line shut down beginning 12:01 a.m. Saturday. 

MTA: Reroutes and possible delays to persist at Penn Station

Rerouting and possible delays are expected to persist at least until the evening rush as repairs continue to be made to infrastructure into Penn Station, MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said just before noon Friday.

A fire broke out in the East River Tunnel connecting Queens to Manhattan late Thursday morning, impacting that evening's rush. 

'Am I just losing out on $200?': LIRR commuter worries strike will hurt wallet

Nino Prodigalidad, 34, of Selden, said he commutes five to six days a week using the train from Ronkonkoma for his job as a grocery produce procurement manager in Manhattan.

His plan is to drive into the city if trains stop. “I’ll just drive in really, really early, and hopefully beat out the traffic. … I'll probably leave at 4 in the morning,” he said.

Prodigalidad is also worried about the financial hit he’ll take from the strike as a monthly pass holder.

“I pay $400 a month for a monthly pass. Where's that gonna go to? It's halfway through the month, Am I just losing out on $200?” If there is a strike, he said, he hopes the MTA provides some relief in the form of a refund or free monthly pass next month.

“The workers, are great, and they deserve to get paid," Prodigalidad added. "It's just, I hope it doesn't come at the expense of the riders.”

What to know if you're going to the Subway Series at Citi Field

The city's Office of Emergency Management posted to X contingency plans for Mets and Yankees fans.

In Ronkonkoma, LIRR commuters think of contingencies

At Ronkonkoma station, Brad Trotta, 22, said he’s bracing for disruption as a Long Island Rail Road strike nears.

A Manorville resident who rides into midtown about three days a week for a part-time job in media, Trotta said he hopes to talk to his boss and work remotely if trains stop running. He said he’s weighing alternatives like driving, but noted that prices to park in midtown are high.

“Obviously they'd rather you work in person, but if there's an issue with me commuting to the city, then that's what I'll have to do,” he said, adding he hopes the labor dispute is resolved fairly for transit workers.

Nick Simone, 65, a package handler from Ronkonkoma who uses the train to commute daily to Brentwood, said he plans to use an Uber or taxi to get to work if there is a strike. He said he feels sorry for riders who would suffer worse if trains stop.

He sympathizes with workers seeking higher pay — “Everybody deserves a fair share” — and said he hopes they can work out a deal with management to avert a strike.

“There’s always a solution,” he said.

Little info around Penn, Moynihan about strike or fire

Information on where to go at Penn Station was sparse and depended on which area of the train hall a passenger goes Friday morning.

Downstairs, near the A, C and E subway lines, where the entrance to many of the LIRR tracks, there was no information about where to go because of the earlier fire in the tunnel, nor about the looming strike.

Upstairs, in Moynihan Train Hall, the main customer service section was effectively closed as of 10:30 a.m. The shades were pulled down on every agent's window, but there was a flyer posted about a "possible LIRR strike." 

The ticket machines provided no information about issues and allowed a passenger to proceed through the steps of purchasing a ticket with no warning about delays, cancellations or the threat of the strike.

An MTA information desk by the 1, 2 and 3 subway lines also had the flyer about the possible strike. A revolving digital ad screen displayed information about an AI product, a Jerry Seinfeld show and then the possibility of a strike. The ticket machines at this level had a flyer announcing "Penn Station service suspended."

Influential Long Island business group worries over 'devastating' effects of LIRR shutdown

Ahead of the looming LIRR shutdown, a heavily influential Long Island business group expressed worries any shutdown could pose "devastating" effects. 

In a statement, Stacey I. Sikes, the Long Island Association's acting president and CEO, said a strike "would impact the millions of workers, customers, and visitors who rely on it each week."

"The LIA is deeply concerned about the economic consequences as we head into peak tourism season on Long Island, including lost tax revenue and sales, as well as increased traffic congestion. We urge all parties to reach a swift resolution," Sikes wrote. 

She cited several news articles that outlined potential economic consequences of a shutdown, including one from Newsday that reported an estimated $70 million in economic losses to the region daily.

'Today is D-Day, shall we say'

"Today is D-Day, shall we say. So we're heading on in there," said Kevin Sexton, spokesman for the bargaining committee, before walking through the revolving doors into MTA headquarters.

"We're going to give it our best, guys," he said. "We're doing everything in our power to prevent the service disruption."

He said it's "unlikely" the deadline would be extended if talks fail to yield a deal.

As for a sticking point, Sexton said: "We don't agree on the fourth year."

On the table — which the unions reject — is a lump-sum payment being offered by MTA.

Catching a rare train out of Moynihan — roses in hand

Moments after a rare intercom announcement in Moynihan Train Hall about no eastbound trains, another rare announcement came over: A 10:03 train to Ronkonkoma was on Track 16.

Nearly no passengers were left in the train hall to board the eastbound train following the announcements.

One of the lone people on the platform was Matthew Zepeda.

He came in from New Jersey with a bouquet of roses in hand. He was trying to head to Hicksville to see his girlfriend.

"Kind of crazy," he said, describing the scene. "I didn’t know what was going on until this."

Zepeda lucked out.

He plugged in his commute to Apple Maps this morning. He saw frequent trains departing from Penn Station. He just happened to catch the unlikely train to get the roses to its destination.

Back-to-back labor negotiation marathon at MTA HQ today

Back-to-back, marathon labor negotiations are happening upstairs on the 16th floor of MTA headquarters Friday, John McCarthy, its chief of policy and external relations, told Newsday as he walked into the building.

At 9 a.m. talks began with the Transport Workers Union, whose contract is just lapsing.

At 11 a.m., he said, they will resume the most imminently consequential talks — with the five Long Island Rail Road unions threatening to strike beginning at midnight unless a deal is reached.

Helming them both is Gary Dellaverson, a veteran lawyer and MTA finance official who retired from the agency but has been brought back to lead the negotiations on its behalf.

'No passengers. No passengers. No passengers.'

The screens in Penn Station that typically display the train schedule show "No passengers" in black and white, written over and over again.

There is no information as to why. There is no information on the signs about trains rerouted to Grand Central Madison. And there is no information that warns of the looming strike.

Multiple passengers trying to get to work stared at the schedule board.

Annette Olivia Brown, of Queens, said she was routed to multiple trains and there was a lack of information at Jamaica before she arrived at Penn. Despite the confusion, she said she supports a potential strike.

"I don't take the train that often but I do support the union and the fact that they need to use this method," Brown said.

Reishon Cordero walked up with her friend to the board, looking for the Babylon train to get to a funeral.

Cordero, who lives in New York City, followed her phone's counsel: A train would depart out of Penn Station in three minutes.

"There's no signage anywhere," Cordero said. "Everyone is just misguided and lost."

Fitzgerald Valme was returning from a visit with his sister on Long Island when he was confronted with the morning commute chaos.

"It was rough," Valme said. "It happens. It's a just daily part of New York life."

He said he expected fares to go up if there is a strike, passing on the cost to the consumer.

The fact the strike was looming, and the fire in a Penn Station tunnel the day before snarled the commute before the strike, left him with more questions.

"I can't even say how coincidental it is that those things fall but it's just the way it is," Valme said.

He plans to work remotely if there is a strike, he said, adding that with the cost of gas and the increase in tolls, he wouldn't drive. Eventually, he said, you consider moving to another state, like Texas.

By 9:38 a.m., for the first time in the hour, a public service announcement explained that there were no LIRR trains going out of Penn Station.

"We apologize for this inconvenience," the MTA voice said over the intercom.

MTA negotiator: Lieber's presence at table helpful

One of the most significant developments coming out of Thursday's 12-hour bargaining session between MTA managers and LIRR union leaders was who was in the room — namely, the head of the MTA.

For months, the unions have been critical of chairman and CEO Janno Lieber's publicly weighing in on negotiations, despite not having attended any of the talks.

On Thursday, MTA officials revealed that Lieber had a seat at the table for the day's meeting.

MTA chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson said having the big boss at the table "is always helpful."

"I think it's helpful in terms of setting the tone of how important this is to the MTA," Dellaverson told reporters upon leaving the building Thursday night. "I think it was helpful … to say this is an area of critical importance to the entire organization and not just the Long Island Rail Road, but the entire organization because of the interconnectedness of all these groups."

Those groups include the MTA's largest labor organization, the Transport Workers Union, whose more than 40,000 members are also looking for a new contract.

The heads of the five LIRR unions, which represent about 3,500 workers, have previously suggested the MTA hasn't taken their demands seriously because their membership doesn't compare to other unions.

Asked if Lieber's attendance made any difference at Thursday's negotiations, locomotive engineers union vice president Kevin Sexton declined to answer.

"I'm not going to go into all that stuff," Sexton said. "I don't want to complicate the negotiations. They're complicated enough as it is."

All lanes reopened on LIE after sinkhole

All lanes of the Long Island Expressway reopened late Friday morning after emergency crews finished most of the repair work after a car fell into a large sinkhole Thursday afternoon.

Westbound lanes had been closed at Exit 49.

Read the latest here.

Past guvs swooped in to avoid strikes. Hochul hasn't yet.

Governors in the past have sometimes swooped in to try to settle contentious labor contracts and avoid transit strikes.

So far, Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn't.

The governor was in Buffalo on Thursday for a ceremony to honor the victims of the 2022 mass shooting at a Tops supermarket. A day earlier, she was on Long Island for a series of news conferences on separate events but, when asked about the potential LIRR strike, she called on labor and management to find "middle ground" before the strike deadline.

Experts have noted LIRR collective bargaining process is governed by federal, not state, law — unlike MTA subway and bus workers. That might mean a governor has no official role, but in 2014 then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after insisting he had no role, jumped into LIRR-MTA talks to avoid a strike.

Like then, 2026 is a gubernatorial election year.

"She's urged both sides to lock themselves in a room and work around the clock to reach a settlement," a Hochul spokesman said, adding the issue is "top of mind for her."

Amtrak to decide when Penn is safe to reopen

Amtrak will determine when Penn Station is safe to reopen following Thursday's fire, according to the MTA.

Jason Abrams, a spokesman for Amtrak, did not provide a timeline when asked by Newsday.

"Repairs are still ongoing. Our crews are working hard around the clock to restore service in Lines 3 and 4 as quickly and safely as possible," Abrams wrote in an email.

Read the latest on the fire here.

Teacher: 'It's very nerve wracking'

Amanda Gordon, of Mineola, uses the train to commute to Queens "every single workday" for her job as a pre-school teacher in Jamaica. She has to make it to work on Monday because her class is going to an indoor playground for their one field trip of the year.

But Gordon is "not quite sure how I'll do it" if a strike shuts down the railroad.

"I do not have a driver's license ... and I am very nervous. I've been thinking about it for weeks, about how I would get to work. I have to be there at 7 a.m., so it's a really big issue," she told Newsday at the Mineola station Friday morning.

Gordon "was going to be telling my boss that I'm not coming in Monday until she reminded me about my field trip. Now, it's not really an option."

The teacher said her only choice may be to get a cab, which she said was a very expensive alternative that might cost her between $40 and $50.

"It's not exactly the easiest thing. Again, I'm a teacher, so not really income-friendly," she said. "It's very nerve-wracking."

'After a long day, it was a little bit painful'

Miami-based investment banker Peter Archer has been using the LIRR to commute between Mineola and Grand Central Station all week. He said Penn Station closure indirectly jammed him up on Thursday.

"The commute back here took us a couple of hours. We had to exchange at Jamaica. That wasn't very fun," Archer told Newsday in Mineola on Friday morning. "It seems like a lot of people were going to Grand Central. Trains were packed … After a long day, it was a little bit painful."

When asked what he'll do if railroad workers go on strike over the weekend, Archer said, "I might have to talk to a couple of buddies here and just drive to work, which is going to be a headache with traffic."

The investment banker, who's in New York for business about three times a month, said he was anxious about how long a potential full-scale railroad closure would last.

"I'm pretty worried about my return to New York in a couple of weeks because of delays and many headaches for people," he told Newsday.

'Just come to the table, figure it out and shake hands, man'

Mineola native Yohan Maldonado, a security technician who works in Manhattan, said the Penn Station shutdown threw a wrench into his commute. But he's taking it in stride and hoping for the best.

"I checked my MTA app when I woke up this morning and I saw no trains coming out — only Grand Central," he told Newsday at the Mineola station Friday morning. "Today is the first day we're dealing with it. I don't know how long repairs are going to take, but hopefully not long. We just got to take it day by day."

Maldonado said he woke up at 5:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. Friday to give himself extra time to get to work. His plan was to ride to Grand Central Station and then "find a subway that will take me downtown efficiently and fast."

He believes the Penn Station shutdown is likely to impact fewer people on a Friday because of remote work, but told Newsday he doesn't have that option.

"You just have to deal with it — don't let it ruin your day," he said. "It's Friday. I'm sure like 80% of the people who usually come are working remotely. Unfortunately, I can't do that. So, I'm here."

A full-scale railroad shutdown in the event of a union strike would be more problematic for Maldonado, who said he has "no idea" how it would ultimately impact his commute if it extended into next week, but told Newsday "I'm sure it will affect it greatly."

He urged union and MTA leaders to "just come to the table, figure it out and shake hands, man."

"We don't need none of this. We got people who need to commute to work, it's going to affect people greatly," he told Newsday. "Just come together and do it for the greater good."

LIRR service 'extremely limited' this morning ahead of strike

As if commuters didn't have enough anxiety over the possible Long Island Rail Road strike, service to Penn Station was “extremely limited” Friday morning due to Thursday’s track fire.

There are no eastbound trains leaving from Penn Station and “there will be reroutes, cancellations and delays,” according to the MTA’s TrainTime app.

Read more here.

12-hour bargaining session yields no agreement; 2 sides reconvening at 10 a.m. Friday

A 12-hour negotiation session between MTA managers and five LIRR unions ended without a deal, and with the two sides “very far apart,” according to one labor leader.

The talks broke shortly before 10 p.m., and are expected to reconvene at 10 a.m. — just 14 hours before a strike deadline.

Asked if he thought a deal could be made with such little time left on the clock, Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said, “I hope so.”

"What I can say is, at this point, the parties are very far apart,” Sexton said upon leaving the MTA’s Manhattan headquarters with other union leaders. "But we look forward to meeting with them tomorrow, and we'll take it from there.”

Earlier in the day, the two sides noted incremental progress during Thursday’s marathon negotiations.

LIRR on brink of shutdown as strike talks between unions, MTA go into night

A marathon negotiation session between MTA managers and LIRR union leaders dragged into the night Thursday as the sides worked on an agreement that would avert a railroad strike and leave tens of thousands of New Yorkers struggling to get on, off and around Long Island.

While both sides acknowledged incremental progress in Thursday’s talks — which, for the first time, were attended by the transit authority's chairman — both sides also dialed up the temperature ahead of the Saturday, 12:01 a.m. deadline. MTA Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials defended a threat to fire probationary some workers if they strike, and the unions circulated an image of a countdown clock ticking toward the railroad’s first work stoppage in more than three decades.

Adding to commuters' anxiety, and highlighting the Long Island Rail Road's LIRR’s critical role in the region’s transportation network, a fire inside an East River rail tunnel shut down train service at Penn during the evening rush hour, sending riders scurrying to find other ways to get home.

Read more here. 

Counting down to a possible LIRR strike

Union workers are threatening to walk out Saturday morning as negotiations get down to the wire.

Incremental progress as both sides look to avoid a first work stoppage in decades

Long Island Rail Road union leaders and MTA managers engaged in continuing marathon negotiations Thursday night as the two sides worked on a contract agreement to avert a railroad strike and leave tens of thousands of New Yorkers struggling to get on, off and around Long Island.

While the two sides acknowledged incremental progress in Thursday’s talks — which, for the first time, were attended by the transit authority's chairman — they also dialed up the temperature ahead of the Saturday, 12:01 a.m. deadline to avoid the railroad’s first work stoppage in more than three decades.

"We’ve been bargaining throughout the day, passing proposals back and forth," Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and a spokesman for the coalition of five unions. "We’re going to do everything in our power to reach an agreement, but I cannot guarantee that at this time."

Adding to commuters' anxiety, and highlighting the LIRR’s critical role in the region’s transportation network, a fire inside an East River rail tunnel shut down train service at Penn during the evening rush hour, sending riders scurrying to find other ways to get home.

Marathon contract negotiations ongoing, but settlement Thursday unlikely

The longest negotiation session to date in the ongoing contract dispute between the MTA and five LIRR unions continued into Thursday night.

After breaking for couple hours, a union source confirmed that the labor leaders were back in the MTA’s Lower Manhattan headquarters.

The marathon session began at 10 a.m. Representatives from both sides have said they are willing to continue talking as long as it takes to make a deal, but have also said a settlement Thursday appears unlikely.

Penn Station fire brings commuters, and business, to Grand Central ... for now

The fire that sent crowds of commuters to Grand Central Terminal was a boon for the handful of businesses that line the corridor above the LIRR tracks. Whereas the main concourse dining area draws customers from Metro North, the subway and the LIRR, small booths selling food to rushing Long Islanders are dependent on those commuters.

“People find this area just because of these trains,” Sarai Moor, an employee at Macaron Cafe said. “People normally don't visit this place unless they have to.”

Despite its name, Macaron Cafe is a booth that sells colorful French-style macaron cookies.

Moor said a strike over the weekend won't affect them because they only open on weekdays. But some of booths won't open if there's a strike and she's not sure what will happen to her job Monday if a strike is on.

Moor is paid hourly and if there's a strike and they don't open, “I'm not going to get paid,” she said. Still, she said she would support a strike. “They haven't gotten a raise in three years,” Moor said.

LIRR service from Penn Station suspended after earlier fire

Long Island Rail Road service from Penn Station remains suspended as crews repair damage from an earlier fire in an East River tunnel.

The MTA is advising commuters to the Island to take trains to either Grand Central of Jamaica and ride trains east from there.

"Amtrak crews are working through the night to repair damage caused by the fire,” A Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokeswoman told Newsday about 7 p.m. Thursday. “As of now, the LIRR does not have a prediction for tomorrow morning's rush hour. The latest information can be found on mta.info."

The LIRR on its website told customers they could expect delays, cancellations and reroutes along the Babylon, Port Washington and Ronkonkoma branches. Many trains were being diverted to Grand Central.

John McCarthy, chief of policy and external relations for the MTA, said, "There will definitely be impacts" on the LIRR Friday morning, but the authority was waiting to hear an update from Amtrak to understand to what extent.

MTA official: Contract agreement 'very close' but work remains

MTA managers and Long Island Rail Road union leaders are “very close” on a contract agreement, but “there’s still work to be done” to close a deal that will avert an union strike, a key Metropolitan Transportation Authority official said Thursday evening.

Briefing reporters during a break in a marathon bargaining session that began at 10 a.m, John McCarthy, chief of policy and external relations for the MTA, called Thursday’s talks “very serious,” and noted that they’ve included, for the first time, MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber.

“There's still work to be done, so it's like any negotiation. There’s a lot of back and forth, but we're not going to give up on this,” McCarthy said, speaking outside the MTA’s Lower Manhattan headquarters, where the talks are being held. “This is very important. It's important for riders on the Long Island Rail Road and so we're gonna be in it as long as it takes.”

McCarthy said he expects the talks will continue into Friday.

“I think we're optimistic that a deal can be done,” McCarthy said. “We are very close, but we need to do some more work.”

'Still a long way to go' toward an agreement, union official says

Seven hours into a marathon bargaining session between MTA managers and LIRR labor leaders, there’s still “a long way to go” to reach a deal to avert a shutdown of the railroad this Saturday, and reaching a settlement some time Thursday remains “unlikely,” a key union official said.

Emerging from the talks alongside fellow union leaders, Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and a spokesman for the coalition of five unions, said it is “unlikely in my opinion at this point in time” that both sides would close a deal before Friday in the three-year long contract dispute.

“We’ve been bargaining throughout the day, passing proposals back and forth,” Sexton said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to reach an agreement, but I cannot guarantee that at this time.”

Speaking shortly after 5 p.m., the union leaders, with rolling suitcases in tow, said they were heading to check into a hotel and would reconvene talks with MTA negotiators at 7 p.m.
“We’ll stay as long as we can stay. We’re here to work,” Sexton added.

The sticking point in negotiations, Sexton said, remains the MTA’s proposal to provide workers extra pay in the fourth year of a new contract in the form of a lump sum that the MTA has said would be the equivalent of a 4.5% raise.

The unions have held firm that they want increases to their wages, and not a lump sum, which they’ve dismissed as a “gimmick.”

Asked if any progress was made Thursday on the issue, Sexton said “We’re working toward it slowly. … Very, very slowly

For some, working from home is not option. Neither is the commute.

Alyssa Parker, 35, of Douglaston, usually commutes to Penn Station to her job in ad sales, but rushed to Grand Central Thursday after trains were canceled due to the morning fire at Penn.

“Missed my train by 15 seconds,” Parker said. “You don't realize how big Grand Central Terminal is.” She said the 7 train from the West Side was packed.
“Everyone's in a bad mood,” Parker said.

If the LIRR workers strike, “I’m working from home,” she said. “Thankfully my director is a Long Islander."

Parker said she prefers to work in the office with her colleagues after the years that COVID-19 forced people to work remotely.

“It's like PTSD from the pandemic,” Parker said.

Tom Faulding, 55, from Baldwin said a strike would hurt him financially because his IT job doing networking can only be in person.

“I'm an hourly worker, I have no vacation days,” Faulding said. “If I don't go into the city, I don't work … you don't work you don't get paid.”

He said he wouldn't drive into the city if there's a strike because he’d spend half a day driving. He recalled the last LIRR strike when he did drive to and from work. “It took me two and half hours just to get to Baldwin,” Faulding said. “I'm just not going to work.”

Still, he said he doesn't begrudge the LIRR workers.

“They're workers just like you and me,” Faulding said. “People have to make money however they can.”

Unions: No deal likely today

Union officials denounce MTA memo on probationary workers

MTA officials on Thursday offered a brief response to union accusations that managers are threatening to fire some employees if they go on strike.

A memo by an MTA labor relations official to LIRR employees Tuesday warned that probationary employees are required to show up to work during a strike. “Failure to do so may result in your termination,” the memo said.

Union officials have called the apparent threat “troubling” and potentially illegal.

Asked about the letter, the MTA in a statement said only: “All LIRR employees are required to report to work.”

Marathon negotiating session continues

Six hours into Thursday’s marathon negotiating session between MTA managers and LIRR labor leaders, there was no word of a deal to avert a union strike Saturday.

But for a quick visit to the Starbucks by the MTA's chief negotiator, neither side has emerged since talks began around 10 a.m. at the MTA’s offices at 2 Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

Outside, several news crews have set up video cameras pointing at a makeshift shift lectern, with hopes of someone providing an update on talks.

New Yorkers and international tourists have stopped by regularly throughout the day to ask what’s going on. Some have expressed how they hope a settlement is reached soon.

Strike would be a 'hassle,' but there's also support for rail workers

Max Ayala, 23, of Valley Stream, wearing a purple NYU graduation gown, said a strike would be a “hassle.” Ayala said he graduated in December with an undergraduate degree in environmental science but walked at the graduation ceremony Thursday. Ayala works at the university doing research on urban parks.

“I wonder what’s going to happen — I do go into the office,” Ayala said. “I guess I would work at home.”

Matt B. Guzman, 56, of Inwood, takes the LIRR to his job in Manhattan training first responders and security guards.

If there’s a strike, “that’s going to hurt me a little bit but I’ve got the A train about a mile from my house,” he said.

“I have the option to drive but I don’t like doing that because of the traffic and the congestion toll,” Guzman added. “It is what it is.”
Guzman said he supported the LIRR workers.

“They’ve been working such a long time without a raise,” Guzman said. “What they’re asking, they should get."

Rail strike? Then 'you kind of roll with the punches'

Mid-afternoon at Grand Central Terminal, and commuters are scanning the electronic board to see when their tracks will be called.

Carlo Catalano, 54, of Baldwin, said he left work early due to the fire that shut down trains into Penn Station, his usual commuting hub near his job in IT.

“I didn’t want to get stuck in the city,” Catalano said.

If the LIRR workers strike, he said he’ll be hitting the road.

“I’ll have to drive in,” Catalano said. “I can’t really work from home.”

He said he doesn’t think the rail workers will really strike, but if they do, “you kind of roll with the punches.”

Strike likely to hurt businesses at Penn, MSG

Maddie’s Boba Lab, tucked between track stairs in a side corridor of Penn Station, opened just three months ago and is still trying to attract customers, said William Leong, a manager.

Now, a looming strike would hurt Maddie’s, a play on Madison Square Garden upstairs.

It’s already challenging enough: commuters are typically in a hurry, hybrid work schedules mean business isn’t strong on certain days of the week, the business is tucked away off the main corridors, the tip jar has been stolen.

A strike won’t help the business.

“Very slow as is,” he lamented as a customer waited for a boba drink, which came to America from Taiwan.

An important clientele, he said, are MTA and other workers, but if there’s a strike, that business will diminish.

How to take the bus ... to the train station bus

Suffolk commuters will have fewer options than those from Nassau to commute to and from New York City without a car if the LIRR shuts down.

Unlike Nassau’s NICE Bus system, which has several routes linking to subway stations in Queens, Suffolk County Transit buses don’t go into New York City.

And so Suffolk bus riders looking for a connection to Manhattan will have to navigate to the three LIRR stations in the county where shuttle buses will run to and from Queens. Those are Ronkonkoma, Huntington and Bay Shore.

The Huntington station is served by the SC1 bus line, as well as Huntington HART H10 and H20 buses.

Ronkonkoma is served by the SC51, 52A and 52B buses.

And Bay Shore is served by the SC2, 7, 11 and 12 buses. 

How would service stop? An 'orderly shutdown'

In the event of a union strike, riders can expect an “orderly shutdown” of LIRR service similar to what they saw ahead of February’s historic blizzard, one key MTA official said.

John McCarthy, chief of policy and external relations for the MTA, said Tuesday that railroad management would work with labor leaders to wind down service Friday evening, with the goal of having all trains stored in yards ahead of the Saturday 12:01 a.m. strike deadline.

At some point Friday, the MTA would begin advising customers, including through the TrainTime app, about the last departures on each branch before trains stop running altogether.

McCarthy compared a potential winding down of LIRR service to what riders experienced during the Feb. 22 winter storm, when the railroad temporarily suspended service for more than 24 hours.

“Ahead of the storm, we told people when the last train was gonna be at different destinations, and there's an expectation they would get that kind of information,” McCarthy said. “This is about making people aware, so they’re not caught off guard.”

'It'll just be mass chaos'

City high school math teacher Bailey Walker, of East Northport, thinks — and hopes — that strike threats are all talk, that a deal will be reached before midnight Friday into Saturday and there will be no strike.

“If it does, it will be disastrous,” she said. “I'm on Long Island, so alternative for travel is buses, which there aren't enough buses for everyone. So it’ll just be mass chaos.

"People won't be able to get to work. People who can't work from home won't be able to go in. It’ll be bad.”

Penn business owner bracing for 40% drop in sales

A red warning triangle surrounding an exclamation point is flashing on a screen just opposite Realmuto Alta Pasticceria Italiana in Penn Station: “Possible LIRR Strike.”

That possibility worries manager Edgar Barrientos, standing among gelato, tiramisu, cannoli and other Italian desserts.

When NJ Transit workers went on strike last year, business went down “a lot,” roughly 20% to 30%, he said, and given the store’s even closer proximity to the LIRR, he’s worried it’ll be even worse if there’s an LIRR strike. Maybe a 40% decrease.

“It’ll be a big impact. That’s what we run on — Long Island Rail Road, everyone that commutes here, everyone that comes here,” said Barrientos, 25.

'The clock is ticking.' Union circulating this poster

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, one of the unions involved, has begun circulating this poster to its members.

MTA Board would have to approve any deal between management, union

A handshake agreement between MTA management and LIRR labor leaders won’t be enough to seal a new contract for railroad workers, even if members ratify it.

Like all MTA labor contracts, a tentative agreement would have to eventually be approved by the MTA Board, whose 23 members represent various parts of the MTA service region, including Nassau and Suffolk.

Sammy Chu, of Lindenhurst, who was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, said he and his fellow board members are “very concerned” about nailing down a contract that the publicly funded MTA can afford.

MTA officials have said paying workers more than they’ve budgeted for could put pressure on the transit authority to further raise fares, reduce service, or cut jobs.

“I am as pro labor as it gets. My entire value system is born from the union movement, but there are a lot of consequences to consider here,” Chu said. “We worked really hard ... to get the budget where it needed to be.”

Another complicating factor if a settlement isn’t reached before Saturday’s deadline: the New York Knicks having “the season of the century.”

The NBA franchise could kick off its next round of playoffs on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, right above Penn Station.

“I don't think anyone wants the Knicks making it to the Eastern Conference Finals to go down in history because getting to the game was a total nightmare,” Chu said.

But, Chu added, “the MTA heading toward insolvency will dwarf the impact of a traffic jam around MSG.”

Station Yards biz owner: Strike would pose 'huge problem'

At Station Yards in Ronkonkoma, many businesses told Newsday they fear the strike would hurt their establishments, as they depend on commuters.

"I'm very nervous about potential strike," said Abby Marr, general manager at Mexican restaurant Lucharitos Taco & Tequila Bar. "I think it's not only going to impact us, but all the businesses around here. We rely heavily on that foot traffic that does come from the train, and not to mention this is a new development."

Located in the center of the Station Yards square, Lucharitos has been in operation for over a year, Marr said.

While business has been good as the establishment tries to host events and interact with customers on social media, Marr said she sees a "huge problem" with the potential strike.

"We rely a lot of people to discover this new development that come off the train," she said. "We rely heavy on the weather as well, so hearing that is going to be great weather, finally, on the weekend and a potential strike does make me a little nervous."

If the strike is still ongoing, if this continues for extended period of time into the summer, that's when the problems will start to pile up a little bit more.

— Rohnit "Ron" Narchal, co-owner of Wine & Liquor Cabinet

Rohnit "Ron" Narchal, 21, of Holbrook, and his father co-own Wine & Liquor Cabinet, which just had a grand opening last month.

As a new business that competes with a convenience store closer to the tracks, Narchal said they are still trying to establish themselves with the community.

The store is within the inner square of Station Yards.

"Right now, we do have commuters from the train come in," Narchal said.

Narchal said the store wouldn't immediately feel effects if a strike were to happen. But it could hurt business as the weather gets warmer and when people buy a six pack to take on the train to a sports game.

"If the strike is still ongoing, if this continues for extended period of time into the summer, that's when the problems will start to pile up a little bit more," he said.

If they're not taking the train, they're not coming here. That's really what it boils down to.

— Scott Palmer, general manager of Great South Bay Brewery

Scott Palmer, general manager of Great South Bay Brewery, told Newsday he fears customers won't come to pregame or postgame various sporting events, like the upcoming Subway Series at CitiField this weekend, if a strike were to occur.

"They come in, they have lunch, they have dinner… They have a few beers, they take a six pack, they get on the train," Palmer said. "If they're not taking the train, they're not coming here. That's really what it boils down to."

Palmer said the brewery plans to have pregame specials this weekend.

Palmer said he receives an influx of business around hockey games at UBS in the wintertime as well.

But the warmer months tend to be slower for business as many people spend time outside or at the beach.

"It's been a long time since they've come this far," Palmer said of the LIRR workers. "We'll see how it works out."

Right now, hasn't really affected us… but I'm kind of worried though.

— Carl Klass, manager and head chef of The Pink Fin

Carl Klass, manager and head chef of fast casual poke bowl restaurant The Pink Fin, also told Newsday he fears that commuters won't patronize the store if a strike occurs.

"I mean, right now, hasn't really affected us… but I'm kind of worried though," he said.

Klass said he is also worried about his fiancee, who works as a teacher in New Jersey and relies on the transit system to get to school.

Every day she wakes up around 4 a.m. to ride the LIRR, then take a train to New Jersey before ultimately taking an Uber to work — about a 3-hour commute one way, Klass said.

Lately, she has had difficulty walking and is looking for a closer job, he said.

"I feel terrible," Klass said. "I never really thought it would impact her that much."

Klass also added he thinks the LIRR union workers should receive a raise as they "work hard."

"They should work something out," Klass said. "Because without transportation, you know, it's going to be a problem."

'We're praying the strike doesn't happen'

Dr. Lori Escallier, who works at Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, said she prefers the LIRR to get between Southampton, where she has a home, and the city. The train costs her around $10 from Ronkonkoma, compared to the more than $100 cost of using an Uber and the Hampton Jitney.

The LIRR is also faster due to avoiding Manhattan traffic, which can take 1½ to 3 hours to her trip, she said.

"We're praying the strike doesn't happen," she said.

Ron Savage, of Patchogue, said he rides the train four days a week and thinks the workers should get the raises they've been demanding.

"I've seen a lot of dedication, a lot of loyalty in what they do, I believe they should get what's coming to them," he said.

Earlier, at the Hicksville LIRR stop, Jawairia Rohail was busy selling coffee and lottery tickets to customers at the station's concession stand.

Farhat Qureshi, of Hicksville, said she owns the store and another at the LIRR station in Baldwin. She said whether they stay open will depend on how many people take the shuttle —

Hicksville is one of six locations on Long Island from where the MTA will operate shuttles into the city.

"We'll wait and see for a couple of days, how the response is, how the people are moving then only we'll take the decision" whether to temporarily close, she said.

Sitting in the Hicksville LIRR station with his earbuds in, Wilmy Murcy said he had not heard about the potential strike. He depends on the train to get to work in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where he works in sanitation — not work one can do from home. He shares a car with his mother, who also needs it to get to her job.

He checked his phone to see how long it would take to get a NICE bus to work. "That's going to take forever," he said, before hopping on a train to Jamaica.

Track fire in tunnels near Penn Station causing LIRR service disruptions

The FDNY is operating at a track fire in the tunnels near Penn Station that is disrupting Long Island Rail Road service across numerous branches.

Customers can expect delays, cancellations and reroutes along the Babylon, Port Washington and Ronkonkoma branches, the railroad reported on its website.

Read the story here.

'I think it's going to go down to the wire'

Shortly before noon, lead MTA negotiator Gary Dellaverson emerged from the talks, went next door to get a coffee at Starbucks, and then went back to work.

Meanwhile, a Long Island MTA Board member with a background in union negotiations said the wage increases demanded by workers are out of sync with other labor organizations are getting.

Marc Herbst, the Suffolk County representative on the MTA Board and the executive director of the Long Island Contractors Association, said he negotiates collective bargaining agreements "for a living" and that annual wage increases of about 3.5% would be "consistent" with what other trades workers are getting.

"No one with salaries in the six figures are getting 5%," said Herbst, referencing LIRR unions' demands for raises in the fourth year of a new contract.

The unions have said the 5% raise in the fourth year is needed to offset raises averaging about 3.16% in the first three years of the contract, as both sides have agreed to.

"I think it's going to go down to the wire," Herbst said Wednesday. "But, I think if level heads prevail, there should not be a strike."

The first LIRR strike in the work-from-home era?

During past strikes, there wasn’t the practice or even the technological wherewithal to let employees work from home, noted Kathy Wylde, whose tenure at the Partnership for New York City, which represents the city's biggest employers, overlapped with the LIRR strikes of 1994 and 1987.

Back then, there was no widespread Internet, let alone Zoom or Slack, so there was no real work from home.

"People weren't set up for that," said Wylde, who retired last year after 44 years at the Partnership. "Now, it’s pretty routine."

Work from home was turbocharged beginning in 2020 with the pandemic. According to a Gallup poll, 70% of jobs were exclusively remote in May of that year.

Wylde said that during strikes employers have typically allowed employees to stay home, or arranged private transportation.

But, if a strike is prolonged, she told Newsday in Times Square, employers face tough choices in deciding how to proceed with return-to-office policies.

"Then it gets complicated."

The popsicle analogy: Yellow or red?

As the rhetoric between LIRR unions and MTA manager heats up, a peculiar analogy raised by a key MTA official has cooled them down some.

At a news briefing Wednesday, MTA chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson, in explaining why the lump sum offer being made management was no different than the wage increases sought by workers, “It’s as if you said … 'I don’t want a red popsicle. I want a yellow popsicle,’ without regard to the fact that both of them are popsicles and are precisely the same,” Dellaverson said.

In a statement Thursday morning, the union referred to the popsicle analogy as an “absurdity.”

Chatting in the lobby of MTA HQs Thursday just as negotiations were getting underway, MTA Chief of Policy and External Relations John McCarthy took the analogy further.

“If you don’t pick between the popsicles, you know what happens?” McCarthy said. “They both melt.”

Union: Lump-sum payment won't work

Heading into Thursday’s critical negotiating session with MTA managers, LIRR union leaders reiterated that they have no interest in a contract settlement made up of a one-time lump-sum payment.

On Wednesday, MTA chief negotiator Gar Dellaverson said the transit authority’s latest offer would give workers the financial equivalent of the 4.5% wage increase recommended by federal mediators, half a percentage point from the unions’ demands of 5%.

But rather than coming in standard wage increases, the money would be in a lump sum payment, which MTA officials have said would be more affordable for management over the long run.

In a statement Thursday, the coalition of five unions still “rejects the one-time payment gimmick,” in part because, without a real raise, wages would default to 2025 levels when the unions return to the bargaining table for their next contract.

“If the cost is no different to MTA as Dellaverson implies, than we will gladly take the money in a straight-forward wage increase,” Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and a coalition spokesman, said in a statement Thursday morning.

Some employers need 'boots on the ground'

Raine Mackey, 69, of Westbury, takes the LIRR three times a week into the city.

Mackey, who has commuted for more than 30 years, said she works for an investment banking firm and manages their recruiting and build outs.

If the strike occurs, she would prefer to work from home. A strike would be “inconvenient, coupled with the (upcoming FIFA) World Cup for those who are commuting to New Jersey,” said Mackey, who manages about 20 employees.

Many people commute to her office from New Jersey or Connecticut, Mackey said, and some employees don’t have the flexibility to work remotely.

“There are others, you know, such as our facilities team and our receptionist and our IT folks that really should be in the office,” she said. “We need boots on the ground.”

Mackey said she doesn’t agree with a pay increase for workers if it meant ticket prices would also rise.

Mackey said she receives a senior citizen discount and often buys a 10 pack of tickets, which still amounts to a lot, but the type of ticket depends on her workday.

“I think we pay a fair amount of money,” she said, “It’s, I think, very difficult for many people.”

Many LIRR union workers would have to work

Even if no trains are running, about half of all LIRR union workers are expected to show up to work during a strike, including conductors.

While five unions representing about half of the railroad’s organized workforce have vowed to walk off the job if a new contract isn’t settled by Saturday, the other half settled with MTA management long ago and would not be part of a work stoppage.

Anthony Simon, head of the LIRR conductors’ union, has said while his members won’t cross physical picket lines if they are set up at their work locations, they will honor their contracts.

Even if trains aren’t running, MTA managers have said they’ll find work for employees reporting for duty, including helping organize contingency plans and communicating with customers.
 

MTA: Probationary workers will be fired if they strike

The Long Island Rail Road has informed unions that probationary employees will be fired if they go on strike, according to documents obtained by Newsday.

LIRR union leaders have suggested the move, which they called a “troubling” threat, could be illegal, and an MTA board member criticized it as an escalation of tactics during negotiations.

Kelli Coughlin, the LIRR’s senior deputy chief of labor relations, in a memo to LIRR employees Tuesday, advised probationary employees that they "are required to report to work, regardless of the Union's strike," which could come as soon as Saturday, if the MTA and the unions don’t reach a contract agreement.

The memo “threatens” that the probationary employees’ failure to show up for work during a strike “may result in your termination.”

In a letter to MTA managers Wednesday, the heads of the five LIRR unions called the memo “especially troubling given the inherently vulnerable status of probationary employees and the obvious chilling effect the memorandum is intended to produce … If you are asserting a lawful basis for taking such action, please provide it to us.”

MTA spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the letter. MTA Board Member Marc Herbst, who represent Suffolk County, said that, while MTA management “has a right to self-help, as well” during a contract impasse, any talk of firing employees would be “going nuclear.”

“I don’t think it’s healthy as part of negotiations to be talking about those types of actions at this point.”

At Mineola, concerns about widespread impacts

Mary Ellen Villalta, manager at The Chefs Corner Café, around the corner from the Mineola train station, said she supports the striking unions, but a strike would make it difficult for her workers — four of whom commute to the restaurant by LIRR.

She said she has been getting some orders from the hospital to cater for emergency workers in case they have to stay over.

“You want fair wages, but yeah, this is gonna affect us,” she said. “If it is couple days, I'll figure it out.”

Moin Haque, of Williston Park, said he depends on the LIRR and NJ transit — which also went on strike recently — to get to work in New Jersey. The systems are “critical for me, because driving is just not practical.”

Waiting for a train at Mineola, Haque said he works for a company that does research and development related to manufacturing and needs to work in person at least two to three days per week. If there's a strike, he said he'll reluctantly take his car, leaving earlier in the morning and later at night to avoid traffic.

Lawyer uses LIRR for court hopping

Personal injury lawyer Ihor Stratan, 39, of Farmingdale, said he depends on the LIRR as he travels between court houses throughout the week.

While his firm is based in Garden City, he will travel as far as the Bronx and Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Nassau County most days of his work week.

“It’s like tremendously important to use the LIRR to commute, because it's very difficult to find parking space in the city, and it's much faster for court appearances,” he said.

If the strike does occur, Stratan said he will drive and spend money on a garage for parking.

He said eventually the negotiations have to lead to some resolution.

“It's hard to say, but it has to be some middle ground,” Stratan said.

How long would your commute be if there's a strike?

Passengers’ commutes into Manhattan during a Long Island Rail Road labor strike would be longer — in some cases, almost twice as long — according to a Newsday analysis. 

Check the chart below to see how much commutes from popular LIRR stations would be affected, and read more here.

The politics of a strike blame game

Who will the public blame if the LIRR goes on strike? One railroad labor expert believes it will be the federal lawmakers that let it happen.

Frank Wilner, a former White House-appointed chief of staff at the Surface Transportation Board and author of Understanding the Railway Labor Act, said while some disgruntled LIRR riders “may litter more” or complain on social media, they’ll ultimately have little choice but to return to the rails once the labor dispute is settled.

Union leadership, meanwhile, will have to answer, “only to its members.”

State elected officials, like Gov. Kathy Hochul, may have some political cover by pointing out that the LIRR collective bargaining process, unlike with MTA bus and subway workers, is governed by federal law, and not state law.

Wilner said they could tell the public, “Don’t blame me.”

But under the Railway Labor Act of 1926, which governs all railroad union bargaining, federal representatives could intervene to resolve a labor dispute, including by imposing contract terms.

“Where does the buck stop?” Wilner said. “With congressional representatives in a congressional election year.”

Some making alternative plans

On the LIRR this morning, announcers warned riders about the potential for an upcoming strike and to make contingency plans.

Brianna Tang, a graduate student at Stony Brook University, was catching the eastbound 7:36 a.m. train at Woodside. She said she uses the LIRR to get between school and her fiancé who lives in Queens, but if there's a strike, she’ll just stay in Stony Brook — next week is finals week.

Mike Wamser, a drama professor, said he was on his way to his last day teaching at Molloy University at Rockville Centre. He said many of his students ride the train, but at least the academic year is ending Friday. Still, he said, it may be difficult for some to make it to commencement on Monday. 

Rider: Strike would force her to stay home

Miranda Dellipizzi, 28, who lives in the Mastic-Shirley area, said she commutes on the LIRR from Ronkonkoma to downtown Manhattan three times a week.

As an underwriter for an insurance company, she said meeting with clients face to face is important for building client trust and creating their policies.

But if the strike were to occur, she would forgo commuting altogether and work from home.

“I think that our whoever works the railroad, they work crazy hours and we do have to respect them,” said Dellipizzi, who has commuted for four years. “If they're asking for a little bit more money, I don't think that's terrible if this strike does happen.”

If the LIRR were to strike, she would have to drive into downtown Manhattan, something she would find too stressful and time consuming.

“Not many people say they can love the public transit, but it's good for me, it's convenient, it's good for the environment,” she said.

Bus company ready to jump in

Long Island commuter bus company Hampton Jitney is gearing up for increased demand if the LIRR shuts down.

Vice President Andrew Lynch said Tuesday the company plans to operate about 30 round trips per day, with buses going between several stops in Eastern Suffolk and Manhattan.

“We will have all available drivers and vehicles in service and will add capacity where needed," Lynch said in a statement.

LIRR operating on or close this morning

As the strike deadline looms, the LIRR was operating on or close to schedule on all of its branches and people were going to work as usual.

The parking lot to the Ronkonkoma train station was fully packed Thursday morning, with most of the cars wet with the early morning rain.

Several commuters lined up at Track 1 waiting for the 7:26 a.m. train to Penn Station.

Hochul in Manhattan as LIRR talks resume

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday will be a short subway ride away from the meeting that could decide whether the Long Island Rail Road shuts down Saturday.

Hochul, who has said she has been involved in the ongoing negotiations between MTA managers and LIRR labor leaders, is set to be the keynote speaker at the New York State Affordable Housing Conference being held at the Mariott Marquis Times Square Thursday morning.

Later in the morning, MTA negotiators and the heads of five LIRR unions are expected to meet at the MTA’s headquarters at 2 Broadway in Lower Manhattan, about 20 minutes away by the 2 and 3 train.

There was no word whether Hochul planned to attend the negotiations, although she has regularly shown up for MTA meetings at the agency’s offices, across the street from the Bowling Green subway station.

The last time the LIRR came this close to a work stoppage in the summer of 2014, then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo showed up to negotiations three days before the strike deadline and closed a deal with unions.

The last time the LIRR went on strike, the Rangers were champs and O.J. was on the run

The date was June 17, 1994.

A date so strangely oddball, curious and historic for America and for American sports that ESPN made a 30-for-30 documentary film about it titled "June 17th, 1994." The film was a chance "to look at the soul of America," said director Brett Morgan.

For Long Island commuters the date is remembered for a different reason: It marks the last time the Long Island Rail Road went on strike.  Read more here.

MTA managers, LIRR labor leaders disagree on raises

MTA managers, making their case against Long Island Rail Road unions' demands for 14.5% raises over four years, say LIRR employees threatening to strike are already the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation. But LIRR labor leaders argue both their pay and negotiating position are warranted given the high cost of living in New York and recent raises given at other railroads across the country. Read more here.

LIRR strike could cost region $70 M in daily economic activity

The Long Island Rail Road transports more than 270,000 weekday riders each day, and a strike would disrupt the local economy and create ripple effects on businesses that rely on rail access, business leaders and economists said.

Read more here.