Long Island Rail Road Shut Down by First Strike in Three Decades

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), North America’s largest commuter rail system, was shut down Saturday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades, according to an Associated Press (AP) report by Philip Marcelo.

The unions and the MTA have been negotiating for months over a new contract. (Photo: Bebo2good1, Wikimedia Commons)

The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations shortly after midnight after five unions representing about half of its workforce walked off the job.

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) have been negotiating for months over a new contract.

President Donald Trump’s administration attempted to broker a deal, but the unions were legally permitted to strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said no new negotiations had been scheduled.

“We’re far apart at this point,” Sexton said early Saturday. “We are truly sorry that we are in this situation.”

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency “gave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay” and suggested union leaders had intended to walk out.

The strike — the first for the LIRR since a two-day stoppage in 1994 — comes as sports fans prepare to watch the Yankees and Mets play this weekend and follow the Knicks’ playoff run at Madison Square Garden, located above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.