{"id":936,"date":"2026-05-17T12:36:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T12:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=936"},"modified":"2026-05-17T12:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T12:36:22","slug":"north-americas-largest-commuter-rail-system-remains-shut-a-second-day-as-monday-rush-hour-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=936","title":{"rendered":"North America\u2019s largest commuter rail system remains shut a second day as Monday rush hour looms"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By PHILIP MARCELO and MICHAEL R. SISAK<\/p>\n

NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 The shutdown of the Long Island Rail Road, North America\u2019s largest commuter rail system, continued into a second day on Sunday after unionized workers went on strike for the first time in three decades a day earlier.<\/p>\n

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The railroad, which serves New York City and its eastern suburbs, ceased operations just after midnight Friday after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off the job.<\/p>\n

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has urged commuters to work from home, planned a news conference for late Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the public agency that runs the railroad, have been negotiating for months on a new contract, with talks stalled over the question of workers\u2019 salaries and healthcare premiums. President Donald Trump\u2019s administration tried to broker a deal, but the unions were legally allowed to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.<\/p>\n

Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, has said no new negotiations have been scheduled.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re far apart at this point,\u201d Sexton said early Saturday. \u201cWe are truly sorry that we are in this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the agency \u201cgave the union everything they said they wanted in terms of pay\u201d and that to him it was apparent the unions always intended to walk out.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

The MTA was not expected to provide an update on the strike before the governor\u2019s news conference, which was scheduled for 11 a.m.<\/p>\n

First LIRR walkout since 1994<\/h4>\n

The walkout, the first for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994, promises to cause headaches for sports fans planning to see the Yankees and Mets battle this weekend or to watch the Knicks\u2019 playoff run at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the railroad\u2019s Penn Station hub in Manhattan. <\/p>\n

The station was devoid of its usual weekend bustle in the afternoon Saturday. Only a few dozen people were seen traversing the main concourse, many dragging rolling luggage from departing or arriving Amtrak trains, which are not affected by the strike.<\/p>\n

Departure boards normally showing upcoming trains by destination instead listed ghost trains marked \u201cNo Passengers.\u201d A few signs affixed to customer service windows explained that the railroad was shut down because of a strike.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Access to platforms was blocked off with bicycle-rack style barricades and roll-down gates as MTA police officers stood sentry, directing people to alternative transportation.<\/p>\n

Shutdown could severely disrupt weekday commuting<\/h4>\n

If the stoppage continues into the workweek, the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system each weekday will be forced to find other routes to the city from its Long Island suburbs. For many that likely means navigating the region\u2019s notoriously congested roads. <\/p>\n

Hochul, a Democrat, blamed the Trump administration for cutting mediation short and pushing the negotiations toward a strike. Trump, a Republican, responded on his Truth Social platform, saying he had nothing to do with the strike and \u201cnever even heard about it until this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cNo, Kathy, it\u2019s your fault, and now looking over the facts, you should not have allowed this to happen,\u201d Trump said, renewing his endorsement of Long Island politician Bruce Blakeman, who is challenging Hochul\u2019s reelection bid. \u201cIf you can\u2019t solve it, let me know, and I\u2019ll show you how to properly get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n

The MTA has said it would provide limited shuttle buses to New York City subway stations, but that contingency plan was not envisioned to handle all the riders the system normally carries on a workday.<\/p>\n

And while remote work options greatly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people still need to show up in person, said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, a commuter advocacy group.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou work in construction, you work in the healthcare industry, you work at a school or you\u2019re about to graduate from school, that\u2019s not always possible,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople need to get where they need to go.\u201d <\/p>\n

Dave Sumner, a locomotive engineer of 32 years, said he anticipates that Trump or Congress will step in before the strike goes on much longer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty vital to this area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The MTA has said the unions\u2019 initial demands to raise salaries would have led to fare increases and impacted contract negotiations with other unionized workers. <\/p>\n

The unions, which represent locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers, have said more substantial raises were warranted to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs. <\/p>\n

Duane O\u2019Connor, who picketed Saturday morning at Penn Station, said that while he regrets the impact on commuters, workers are simply asking for fair pay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel terrible. Terrible. This is going to hurt. This is going to hurt the island, this is going to hurt the city. \u2026 All we are asking for is fair wages,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty much three years without a contract,\u201d said Karl Bischoff, a locomotive engineer with LIRR for 29 years. \u201cIf they did their contracts for their construction stuff like that, this place would be in worse condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the unions get the pay increases they are looking for, \u201cit will come at the expense of our riders who will see next year\u2019s 4% fare increase doubled to 8%,\u201d Gerard Bringmann, chair of the rider advocacy group LIRR Commuter Council, said in a statement. \u201cLike the union workers, we too are burdened by the increase in the cost of living here on Long Island.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Hochul running for reelection, the pressure might be on the MTA to strike a deal to end the shutdown, said William Dwyer, a labor relations expert at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where commuter rail workers staged a three-day strike last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s up for reelection, and Long Island is a critical vote for her,\u201d Dwyer said. \u201cSo if there\u2019s a significant fare hike, that does not bode well for her on Election Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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___<\/p>\n

Follow Philip Marcelo at https:\/\/x.com\/philmarcelo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By PHILIP MARCELO NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 North America\u2019s largest commuter rail system was shut down Saturday after unionized workers in the New York City area went on strike. The Long Island Rail Road that serves the city\u2019s eastern suburbs ceased operations early Saturday morning after five unions representing about half its workforce walked off [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nNorth America\u2019s largest commuter rail system remains shut a second day as Monday rush hour looms - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=936\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"North America\u2019s largest commuter rail system remains shut a second day as Monday rush hour looms - Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By PHILIP MARCELO NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 North America\u2019s largest commuter rail system was shut down Saturday after unionized workers in the New York City area went on strike. 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