The Long Island Rail Road will resume running by noon Tuesday after the unions that forced a shutdown of the country’s largest commuter railroad for just over three days reached a labor deal with the MTA.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the pact in a social media post late Monday, calling it a “fair deal” that will give railroad workers raises “while protecting riders and taxpayers” from the need for additional fare or tax hikes.
“And that’s why we stood firm for a deal that would not require any additional fare increases or tax increases,” Hochul told reporters outside MTA headquarters in Lower Manhattan. “Period, full stop, got it done.”
Union leaders declined to discuss specifics of the agreement, telling reporters that they first need to disclose the details to their members.
“What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work,” said Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
The development came hours after the MTA’s labor counsel said that representatives for the unions showed “no sense of urgency” after both sides were brought back to the negotiating table Sunday by the National Mediation Board — and as thousands of riders slogged through the first weekday commute without the LIRR.
It also followed an announcement earlier in the evening from the MTA that LIRR service would remain suspended through the morning rush Tuesday, forcing commuters to look for alternate options one more day.
“I want to thank New Yorkers, Long Islanders particularly, who made all the accommodations, who had to work from home, who sacrificed, who had to put up with inconveniences,” Hochul said. “We are so grateful for their patience and understanding.”
Service will be restored in phases starting at noon, with full service expected to be restored by the evening rush — in time for the opening game of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden, directly on top of Penn Station.
“Knicks fans will be able to take the trains to MSG tomorrow,” Hochul said.
The strike began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following a long-running battle over worker pay between the MTA and five unions that represent some 3,500 railroad workers. It was the first LIRR work stoppage since June 1994 on a railroad that carries close to 300,000 riders daily.
That strike spanned three days, a figure that will be narrowly topped when workers begin going back to work early Tuesday. The LIRR strike came nearly one year after New Jersey Transit labor workers walked off the job for three days.
“Monday’s commute was challenging for those who had to make the trip, with Tuesday morning looking brighter with the promise of a train ride home,” said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA.
Janno Lieber, MTA chairperson and chief executive, praised Hochul for pushing the dueling parties to stay at the negotiating table.
“Her message was clear, that we had to find a deal that gave people fair raises but didn’t put the hit on the riders, the taxpayers, that wouldn’t blow up the MTA’s budget,” he said.
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