Long Island Rail Road Shuts Down After Workers Strike Over Pay Dispute
Workers on the Long Island Rail Road walked off the job in the early hours of Saturday, May 16, shutting down North America’s busiest commuter rail system indefinitely after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions failed to agree on a new contract before the midnight deadline. Some 250,000 commuters are now impacted by the shutdown. NBC New YorkABC7 New York
The primary sticking point was a disagreement over wage increases in the fourth year of the contract. The MTA and unions had agreed to the terms of the first three years, but disputes arose over the final year — the union sought a 5% pay increase, while the MTA offered a 3% raise with options that could bring it to 4.5%, provided certain work rule concessions were made. Amsterdam NewsCBS News
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber addressed reporters after talks collapsed at midnight. “The MTA board cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes the budget,” he said. ABC7 New York
The Wage Dispute
Months ago, the MTA had proposed a 9.5% wage increase over three years, in line with what other unionised workers across the system had already agreed to. The unions held out for an additional 6.5% raise in the fourth year, for a combined total of 16% over four years. NBC New York
MTA officials had previously warned that meeting the union’s full demands could force the authority to cut service, reduce jobs, or raise fares by up to 8% the following year. Union leaders disputed that characterisation. ABC7 New York
Workers represented by the five unions have been without a pay increase for more than three years. “We have been without a raise for three years now,” said Duane O’Connor of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “We don’t want to disrupt the island and the city.” CBS News
The coalition of five unions includes the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Transportation Communications Union — together representing engineers, signal workers, machinists, electricians, and other essential crafts. Amsterdam News
Final Hours of Talks
Negotiations ran to the last minute on Friday night. Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s outside labour counsel and chief negotiator, told reporters Thursday night that it had been a “long and relatively frustrating day,” but said he remained “confident” that a resolution could be reached before the 12:01 a.m. deadline on May 16. “I believe that as long as you come in in good faith and you work hard towards a resolution, you can find a common ground, you can find an agreement,” he said. amNewYork
No agreement came. Union leaders held an update after failing to reach a deal, and the MTA announced it was rolling out a contingency plan involving shuttle buses to help move displaced riders. ABC7 New York
Picket lines were set to begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at Penn Station and Ronkonkoma Station. No further talks were scheduled at the time the strike began. ABC7 New York
Impact on Commuters and the Region
The MTA warned that the shutdown will cause severe congestion and delays, urging commuters to avoid nonessential travel and work from home where possible. The authority said travel alternatives would be near or at capacity due to a surge of additional riders. MTA
AAA spokesperson Rob Sinclair warned of regional gridlock. “You’ve got extra buses on the road and extra vehicles on the roads,” he said. “It might take three or four hours to get where you need to go, especially if you’re going into Manhattan.” CBS News
Shuttle buses will transport commuters from Bay Shore, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville, and Mineola to the Howard Beach–JFK Airport A train station, and from Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Center–Parsons/Archer station to connect to the F train. All shuttle bus service is free of charge. ABC7 New York
The strike also landed on a major sports weekend. The New York Mets and New York Yankees are facing off in this weekend’s Subway Series, with the Mets adding additional shuttle buses from Long Island routes, including a new line departing from the Manhasset LIRR station, at $8.99 per ticket for round-trip service or $25 for a family of four. CBS News
Political Response
New York Governor Kathy Hochul did not hold back in her response to the failed talks. “For weeks the MTA has attempted to negotiate in good faith and put multiple fair offers on the table that included meaningful wage increases, but you cannot make a deal if one side refuses to engage in good faith,” she said. NBC New York
Hochul had previously called the LIRR “the lifeblood of this island,” warning that a strike would have significant impacts across Long Island and adding that the potential strike had been “accelerated by unprecedented action from the Trump administration.” ABC7 New York
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was closely monitoring the situation, with City Hall and agencies across his administration actively coordinating contingency preparations. ABC7 New York
Background
The last LIRR strike was in 1994 and lasted two days. In September 2025, a prior strike threat was averted when unions asked President Donald Trump to establish a presidential emergency board to mediate stalled contract talks, which temporarily kept service running. The five unions represent approximately 3,500 workers, including locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen, and other train workers. Under current work rules that the MTA sought to change, an engineer who operates both a diesel and an electric train in the same day may be paid as though they worked two full days — one of the labour cost disputes underpinning the broader wage standoff. ABC7 New York + 3
What Happens Next
MTA leaders have said they will continue to negotiate with the unions to resolve the strike, but warned that there is no substitute for the Long Island Rail Road and that the shutdown will cause severe congestion for an indefinite period. No further talks were scheduled as of the strike’s start at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The MTA’s contingency shuttle bus plan will operate during peak hours — toward Manhattan from 4:30 to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 to 7 p.m. — with limited reverse peak service on some routes, according to the MTA. Nassau County commuters have been directed to consider NICE Bus connections to Queens as an additional alternative. MTA +
