NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� North America鈥檚 largest commuter rail system is facing a potential shutdown as a deadline nears to reach a deal with unionized workers to avert a strike.
The Long Island Rail Road that serves New York City鈥檚 eastern suburbs has been negotiating for months on a new contract with labor officials representing locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers.
A in September when President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration agreed to help. Those efforts ended without a deal, giving both sides 60 days 鈥� ending 12:01 a.m. Saturday 鈥� to again try to resolve their differences before the union was legally allowed to go on strike or the agency could lock out workers.
Five labor unions representing about half the train system鈥檚 7,000-person workforce warned this week that Saturday鈥檚 deadline was approaching.
The LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying about 250,000 customers each weekday. LIRR workers last went on strike in 1994, for about two days. Workers nearly walked out in 2014 before then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached a deal with unions.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the LIRR and other area transit systems, has said it will provide free but during the morning and afternoon rush hours. The agency says the shuttles will depart from designated LIRR train stations to subway stops in the New York City borough of Queens.
has urged LIRR riders to work from home, if possible, as the free shuttles are meant for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute. The Democrat, months earlier, slammed the LIRR unions for 鈥済reedy asks鈥� that threaten to 鈥渄estabilize the local economy.鈥�
Dispute over wages
The contract talks have stalled on the question of worker鈥檚 salaries.
The MTA argued that the union鈥檚 initial demands would lead to fare increases and impact contract negotiations with other unionized workers. The union has said more substantial raises were warranted to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs.
Both sides have so far agreed to contract terms calling for the same 9.5% in pay raises over three years already given to other unionized workers. But the unions have been holding out for another yearly salary increase of 6.5% 鈥� for a total raise of 16% over four years.
The MTA said earlier this week that it offered the unions what would effectively amount to a 4.5% raise in year four, in line with what federal officials had recommended. But the unions dismissed the lump sum payments as 鈥渁 one-time gimmick鈥� rather than the true wage increases they鈥檇 sought.
鈥淭he difference between those two positions is not unbridgeable,鈥� Gary Dellaverson, the MTA鈥檚 chief negotiator, suggested during a press conference Wednesday.
Spokespersons for MTA declined to provide an update Friday, but the unions confirmed that the two sides met late into Thursday and then reconvened Friday morning at MTA headquarters in lower Manhattan.
Nick Peluso, national vice president for the Transportation Communications Union, said in a statement that the unions have lowered their initial ask of a 6.5% raise to 鈥渢he upper 4s,鈥� whereas the MTA’s offer is 鈥渋n the mid-3s.鈥�
鈥淭he key question is: Will MTA and Gov. Hochul create frustration and gridlock for commuters, spend millions on buses during a strike and lose millions in revenue over what amounts to roughly a one percent difference in wages?鈥� he said.
Commuters brace for the worst
Susanne Alberto, a personal trainer from Long Island, said she鈥檚 already made plans with her Manhattan clients to hold virtual sessions in the event of a shutdown.
She said the union likely has the upper hand, even if she believes raises should be based on job responsibilities and not made across the board.
鈥淭he MTA is going to cave, and they know that,鈥� Alberto said. 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 they just do it now instead of waiting until virtually millions of people get inconvenienced?鈥�
Rob Udle, an electrician who takes the LIRR at least five days a week, said he鈥檒l likely use his vacation days rather than navigate the 鈥渘ightmare鈥� of commuting into Manhattan if the rail service shuts down.
A union member, he sympathized with the unions鈥� affordability concerns, but said he didn鈥檛 agree with their strong-arm tactics.
鈥淚 get it, the cost of living is going up and stuff like that,鈥� Udle said while waiting at Penn Station for a train home. 鈥淏ut they shouldn鈥檛 hold everybody hostage to do it. There鈥檚 a better way. You鈥檙e affecting a lot of other people.鈥�
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The first reference to the rail system has been updated to correct to Long Island Rail Road, from Long Island Railroad.
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