By: Key Jones-Ford
On Sept. 15, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) announced the postponement of the strike proposed by unions representing the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)with service running uninterrupted.
The MTA has been negotiating contracts with the unions that represent the laborers and employees of New York City’s extensive transit system. These include engineers, bus drivers, conductors, and other workers who keep the system running and perform maintenance.
According to AP news, the MTA recently offered a 9.5% wage increase over three years, which all but five transit unions have agreed to. The five unions holding out are asking for another yearly increase of 6.5% bringing a total 16% raise over the course of four years.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET),the leading union calling for a strike is joined by the Transportation Communications Union (TCU), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMA), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
“What we’re asking for is exceedingly reasonable, essentially the status quo when it comes to the cost of living,” said Kevin Sexton, BLET’s vice president, in a news conference. The current offer given by the MTA does not meet the rise in the cost of living, according to him and the other union reps.
John McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, criticized the unions for their decision to continue the dispute, claiming that they have never had intentions of coming to the table for negotiations. “If these unions wanted to put riders first, they would either settle or agree to binding arbitration. And if they don’t want to strike, they should say so – and finally show up to the negotiating table. This cynical delay serves no one.”
Similarly, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has criticized the unions’ request as “unrealistic” in a statement published by her press office. She insists that “both sides must return to negotiations and keep working around the clock until this is resolved.”
She also calls out the current presidential administration for encouraging this strike. “Make no mistake, this is a strike encouraged by Donald Trump and enabled by his allies in Washington. I remain incredibly frustrated with the continued inaction and silence of Long Island’s two Republican members of Congress.”
The LIRR’s labor negotiations are covered by a 1926 federal law called the Railway Labor Act. The act dictates that unions cannot strike unless they have exhausted all other mediation procedures, and can only strike over “major disputes.”
The strike was delayed by a request from BLET to President Donald Trump to establish an emergency board to mediate over the negotiation process, an action that the Railway Labor Act supports. The White House released a statement detailing the duties and orders of the board. The board will report its findings to President Trump within 30 days of its creation. The action delays this strike for at least another six months.
The LIRR serves just under 270,000 daily riders, according to a report published by the MTA in June 2025. A strike would prevent many of these riders from traveling to work or school without the use of a bus or car.
In the event of a strike, the MTA’s contingency plan was revealed in a press release on Sept. 11. The MTA “strongly [encouraged] Long Islanders to work from home or stay with friends or family living in or near New York City to take advantage of subway and bus service.” Further plans also included an extension of the Long Island bus service and a temporary shuttle bus, as well as recommendations for drop-off points if choosing to use carfare services to get into the city. These drop-off points were in Queens, save for the Sheepshead Bay subway station, which is serviced by the Q and B trains in Brooklyn.
The last strike for the LIRR occurred in 1987, lasting 11 days. Union workers of 11 unions walked off the job on Jan. 18 after they failed to negotiate a new contract. Among the unions, BLET was one of those that walked off. The strike only ended after then-President Ronald Reagan signed a resolution to call the strikers back to work, according to UPI archives.
“We remain committed to resolving this issue and ensuring that Long Island Rail Road service is not shut down in the future,” said the MTA in their announcement.
With the president’s intervention, negotiations will continue for the board’s duration and extend the deadline for contract agreements. This delays a potential strike until early to mid-2026, though it does not guarantee a strike will not happen at all.