The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and other unions representing engineers on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) overwhelmingly voted on Monday to go on strike — but not for a while.
Almost all 600 active BLET members approved a work stoppage, but the union said on Sept. 15 that no job action is imminent, as it requested federal mediation from President Trump. That would include up to six months of negotiation and a 60-day cooling-off period. Should a deal not be reached before then, the earliest walkout could happen in mid-May.
BLET national and local leaders announced the results of a strike vote by members during a news conference in Midtown. The BLET officers were joined by leaders of the four other LIRR unions to discuss the next steps in their effort to achieve a fair agreement for commuter railroaders.
The other unions in attendance were the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and the Transportation Communications Union. Combined, the coalition represents more than half (55.08%) of the unionized workforce at LIRR.
The dispute between the LIRR and BLET centers around pay. The union members said they have gone without a raise since 2022.
The MTA wants the unions to accept a 9.5% wage increase over three years. However, union reps say the offer does not keep up with the local cost of living.
“What we’re asking for is exceedingly reasonable, essentially the status quo when it comes to the cost of living,” said Kevin Sexton, BLET’s vice president. “MTA’s response has been to stall, stall, stall.”
Rob Free, president of the LIRR, said last week that the MTA has attempted to “negotiate in good faith” with the unions.
“A fair offer has been made and accepted by a majority of all the other representative employees at the LIRR,” Free said, adding that the positions represent cleaners, conductors, mechanics, supervisors and others in the system’s workforce. “Instead, these five labor organizations, which are among the highest paid in the nation, want 6.5% more than everyone else without any concessions, including outdated work rules that significantly inflate salaries.”
John McCarthy, MTA chief of policy and external relations, said the unions “weren’t serious” about negotiations.
“After months of radio silence, these outlier unions have finally admitted that they weren’t serious about negotiating. They never had a plan to resolve this at the bargaining table,” he said. “If these unions wanted to put riders first, they would either settle or agree to binding arbitration. And if they don’t want to strike, they should say so – and finally show up to the negotiating table. This cynical delay serves no one.”
Members of the locomotive engineers’ union employed by the MTA at the LIRR began receiving ballots by mail at the end of August seeking authorization to call a strike when permissible under the rules of the federal Railway Labor Act. The results of the vote were tabulated on Monday morning.
Echoing Free, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that a “fair offer” was presented to the unions.
“There is a fair offer on the table, and I have directed the MTA to be ready to negotiate anytime, anywhere,” she said. “Unfortunately, five unions have refused to come to the table in good faith and rejected binding arbitration, putting riders at risk of an unnecessary strike. Both sides must return to negotiations and keep working around the clock until this is resolved.”
