Nearly half of the Long Island Rail Road’s workforce is threatening to walk off the job as early as next week amid a dispute over wages and work rules, prompting the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to urge commuters who can to work from home.
Five unions representing about 3,400 LIRR employees — roughly 49% of the railroad’s workforce — are pressing for retroactive raises that would amount to a 16% pay increase dating back three years, LIRR President Rob Free said Thursday. The MTA has proposed a 9.5% wage increase and has sought concessions on work rules that the agency says “significantly inflate salaries.”
“A fair offer has been made,” Free told reporters at a news conference in Penn Station. “They have to realize they need to come to the table and make concessions.” Free said labor negotiations have been under way for about a year.
The MTA described the situation as a looming strike and has begun advising riders to make alternate plans. Shanifah Rieara, the MTA’s chief customer officer, said in the news conference that the agency will post details of limited shuttle-bus service for essential workers on its website and that shuttles will run every 10 minutes, but she cautioned the service cannot replace regular LIRR operations.
“We’re encouraging all those who can work from home to do so,” Free said. “If you can work from home we ask that you do so.” Announcements playing in Penn Station echoed that guidance and warned riders to prepare for a possible work stoppage next Thursday.
Commuters and transit advocates said the MTA’s advice will not work for everyone. A 65-year-old Long Island resident who commutes daily to a Manhattan hotel’s guest services desk said she cannot do her job remotely and questioned whether the agency is doing enough to reach an agreement. “Not everybody can afford to work from home,” she told a Post reporter. “MTA should be able to pay them a fair wage. Everything is expensive. We live in a different world now.”
The unions have not publicly named a strike date in the statements provided to the MTA, and union leaders were not immediately quoted at the Penn Station briefing. The labor standoff centers on both the size of retroactive raises and on the MTA’s demand for changes to work rules the agency says add to payroll costs.
MTA officials emphasized that the shuttle service is intended only for essential workers and that limited capacity means many riders will face disruption if the strike happens. The agency said it is preparing operational contingencies but acknowledged it could not match the LIRR’s full daily service.
The dispute comes as the MTA navigates post-pandemic ridership patterns and fiscal pressures common to large transit agencies. Negotiations between transit agencies and rail workers nationwide have featured similar disputes over pay, staffing and work rules as agencies seek to control costs while unions seek to restore pandemic-era losses and keep pace with inflation.
The MTA said it will continue talks with union representatives and update commuters on service changes and shuttle details on its website. Riders were asked to monitor official MTA channels for the latest information and to plan alternate transportation or remote work arrangements if possible.
