photo: staff
(Jamaica, NY) – A strike on the Long Island Rail Road could be just a few weeks away after contract negotiations broke down between the agency and five unions representing its workers.
Union officials say they plan to reject an offer from the board, a move that triggers a mandatory 30-day “cooling-off” period under federal labor law. Once that period ends, either Governor Kathy Hochul or one of the parties in the dispute could request that the Trump administration form a Presidential Emergency Board to intervene and help avert a strike.
LIRR spokesperson Tim Minton criticized the National Mediation Board for its handling of the situation, accusing the board of accelerating the potential for a strike.
“Following the statutory process, the MTA has offered to arbitrate with these unions, but so far all have refused,” Minton said.
