President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday creating a federal emergency board under the Railway Labor Act that will halt any planned Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike for at least 120 days, federal and union officials said.
The order, issued after labor leaders representing about half of LIRR employees asked the federal government to intervene in a contract impasse with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, triggers a 120-day "cooling off period" during which neither side may change wages, hours or working conditions and workers are legally barred from striking unless both sides agree to a deal.
The emergency board is to be composed of three members appointed by the president, and it will have 30 days to review the contract proposals from the unions and the MTA and issue recommendations, according to the White House. A White House spokesman, Kush Desei, said the order was signed "to prevent a strike that could have crippled the New York City area and disrupted the upcoming Ryder Cup on Long Island."
The move followed authorization by five unions late last week for the first LIRR strike since 1994; union leaders delayed a work stoppage Monday and formally requested federal intervention to establish the board. The most recent negotiated offer from the MTA included a 9.5% wage increase over three years, while unions had been seeking raises that would total roughly 16% and pushed for a fourth year to reach that level. Union leaders later said they would accept the 9.5% over three years only if the MTA agreed to add a fourth year to bridge the gap.
Under the Railway Labor Act procedures, the emergency board will investigate and attempt to mediate the contract dispute and then deliver nonbinding recommendations. Following its report, parties remain free to reject the recommendations, but the statute often prolongs negotiations and prevents an immediate strike by imposing the statutory cooling-off time. The board’s report typically becomes a reference point for further bargaining.
New York officials had urged federal involvement as the prospect of a strike raised concerns about commuter disruption across Long Island and New York City and threatened service during the Ryder Cup, an international golf tournament scheduled for the region. Gov. Hochul on Monday urged federal officials to use their power to prevent a strike, saying, "You cannot strike. Work it out at the table and that’s it," according to a statement from her office.
The last railroad strike affecting the region occurred in 1994 and lasted two days, leading to widespread commuter disruptions. Transit officials and business groups warned that a prolonged LIRR work stoppage would have broad economic effects given the railroad’s role in moving thousands of workers into and out of New York City each day.
Union leaders said their authorization of a strike was a negotiating tactic to press demands for higher pay amid rising living costs in the region. The MTA has maintained that its offer was competitive and reflected fiscal constraints on the agency. With the emergency board now in place, negotiators for both sides will present their cases to the board, which will have a month to examine the proposals and issue recommendations intended to move both parties toward agreement.
The creation of a presidentially appointed emergency board is a statutory tool rarely used but available when labor disputes in interstate transportation threaten national transportation systems or commerce. The board’s recommendations are advisory; however, the statutory cooling-off period ensures that a strike cannot legally occur during the 120 days unless both sides agree to end the restriction earlier.
Both the MTA and union officials publicly acknowledged that the federal intervention will extend the period for bargaining. The immediate effect is to avert an imminent work stoppage that labor leaders had authorized and to buy time for mediated talks under the board’s review. The board’s findings and the subsequent bargaining phase will determine whether the dispute can be resolved without a return to the brink of a strike.