An MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike is in effect and service is suspended in New York. Labor negotiations continue at Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) in Canada.
At 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, a five-union coalition of 3,500 LIRR workers went on strike. This is the first strike since 1994 at the commuter railroad, which carries nearly 300,000 riders daily.
“To every LIRR passenger whose trip is disrupted, know that the MTA left us no choice but to strike,” said Gil Lang, General Chairman of the LIRR General Committee, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), which is part of the coalition along with the Transportation Communications Union; Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “We don’t want to be on the picket line. But after three years without raises, we cannot make any more compromises. …”
The coalition is seeking wage increases of 14.5% over four years, according to ABC 7 New York. “MTA officials have offered slightly smaller increases and a $3,000 lump-sum payment,” it reported last week.
BLET said the coalition unions are asking for “wage improvements that keep pace with the high cost of living on Long Island.” It noted that “[t]wo Presidential Emergency Boards composed of rail industry experts have called for raises for the LIRR workers and supported the unions’ position.”
According to ABC 7 New York, the unions are “pushing for higher pay, but MTA leaders warn that agreeing to those demands could trigger significant fare hikes.”
With no scheduled talks between the two sides since the strike began early May 16, the National Mediation Board, “summoned both sides Sunday [May 17] night,” reported CBS News New York. “No deal was reached after hours of talks. They returned to the negotiating table at 7:30 a.m. [on May 18]” According to the media outlet, a union representative “said the negotiations were cordial, and they were making progress,” and “MTA Chairman and CEO Janno described his feelings as ‘cautious optimism’ as talks resume.”
The MTA is providing 275 shuttle buses from six LIRR stations to Queens and accessible travel alternatives, according to CBS News New York. It has also urged commuters to “[w]ork from home if possible, but if you must travel, allow yourself plenty of time.” The buses, the media outlet said, “can only handle 13,000 daily riders, which is very small in comparison to the more than 250,000 normal daily riders.”
“Even if a deal is reached on Monday [May 18], sources told [CBS News New York] that service won’t resume immediately,” the media outlet said. “The railroad would still need at least a day to inspect tracks, equipment, signals and get crews situated before full service could return. Former Department of Transportation Commissioner Sam Schwartz said the ripple effects … will be far-reaching. Subway riders will see bigger crowds, and roads across Long Island will be busier.”
The labor walkout’s impact first “fell on many sports fans who wanted to see the Yankees and Mets battle or the Knicks’ playoff run at Madison Square Garden, which is located directly above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan,” according to the Associated Press.
BACKGROUND
“On Friday [May 8], in accordance with the BLET bylaws and due to the inaction by the employer, BLET National President Mark Wallace authorized a strike by BLET members at the LIRR if a voluntary agreement is not reached in the next week,” BLET said on May 8. Under the Railway Labor Act, “self-help,” where a strike would become lawful, begins at 12:01 a.m., Saturday, May 16.
Nicholas Peluso, National Vice President of the Transportation Communications Union/IAM, said in a May 14 statement: “Negotiations in the coming hours must focus on real wages; it’s time for MTA to get serious. ….”
“There’s no reason for there not to be an agreement,” an MTA official told FOX 5 New York on May 14. “That agreement should be reached.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on May 13 said: “Both sides must continue to negotiate in good faith toward a deal at the table… Yes, workers deserve to be paid fairly for their work, but at the same time, we must be responsible with public funds and the fares paid by Long Island residents. I believe that a deal can be reached here, and I’ll continue to urge both sides to work together to avoid a strike.”
On March 16, PEB 254, the second POTUS 47-appointed Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) assigned to the long-running contract dispute between a coalition of five unions and LIRR, “like an earlier appointed board of experts, recommended raises and retroactive pay for rail workers,” reported the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
According to BLET, the Board wrote in its report: “Based on the foregoing analysis of both the respective wage offers and the Carriers work rule proposals, we find that the Organizations’ (the unions) Final Offer is the most reasonable offer.” The Board noted, the union said, that “…the Carrier’s insistence on all of its work rule changes, in our view, makes its Final Offer the less reasonable of the two, regardless of the respective GWIs.”
The five-union coalition on Jan. 12 reported requesting the second PEB, noting that members “have been without a pay raise” since April 2022.
“Although more than half all LIRR union workers have already settled a contract that guaranteed 9.5% in wage increases over three years, the five remaining unions have held out for more, arguing that their raises should be more in line with what other railroads in the United States have offered workers in recent years, including Amtrak and Philadelphia’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, or SEPTA,” according to an Aug. 19, 2025 Newsday report.
The LIRR-labor coalition contract dispute began National Mediation Board-sponsored mediation in February 2024. The NMB on Aug. 18, 2025, released the parties from mediation, triggering a 30-day cooling off period under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), ending at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 18. The labor coalition requested the first PEB at that time.
The first PEB “recommended raises of 14% over four years along with other improvements,” according to the coalition.
That recommendation, Newsday reported Jan. 9, 2026, “was closer to the 16%, four-year contract sought by the unions than it was to the 9.5%, three-year deal offered by the MTA.”
“We felt compelled to request a second PEB because of LIRR and the MTA’s refusal to bargain in good faith,” said Gilman Lang, the General Chairman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen at LIRR, at that time.
Under the rules of the RLA, the PEB “was charged with selecting the most reasonable last offer; either the last offer of the unions in its entirety, or the last offer of the Long Island Rail Road, which is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority,” BLET reported March 17. “After comparing the two offers, the board selected the offer presented by the unions.”
Now, if no agreement is reached in the next 60 days, the unions would be allowed to strike as soon as May 16 under RLA rules or the MTA could lock out its rail labor workforce on that date, according to BLET.
The labor coalition on March 16 sent a letter to MTA urging it “to return to the bargaining table to reach a voluntary agreement using the PEB’s recommendations as a foundation for a settlement,” according to BLET.
“Let’s get back to the bargaining table and agree to a fair settlement that takes away the threat of a disruption in service,” said BLET Vice President Kevin Sexton speaking on behalf of the labor coalition.
MTA Chief Labor and Employee Relations Officer Anita Miller told Long Island Life & Politics: “We are disappointed, but not surprised, that this [POTUS 47]-appointed Board rejected the MTA’s common-sense proposal for a new LIRR labor contract. These unions have hidden from the normal give and take of collective bargaining. They are the highest-paid railroad workers in the nation but have refused the same significant wage increases the vast majority of their colleagues accepted – and repeatedly refused to negotiate.”
According to the media outlet, “Miller said the MTA could initiate a ‘needless’ work stoppage if the coalition does not begin to negotiate in good faith, which would ‘only hurt both riders and workers. In the meantime, we will take every available step to mitigate the impact of a potential strike on LIRR customers. And should these unions decide to come to the table in good faith, we have been, and are, ready to go.’”
“What we’ve been asking for since negotiations commenced more than two years ago is exceedingly reasonable, essentially the status quo,” said Mike Sullivan, General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalman. “In stark contrast, the employer has been seeking a concessionary contract that doesn’t keep pace with the high cost of living in our metropolitan area.”
“This outcome confirms that our fight has been grounded in facts, equity, and the best interests of our members,” noted Shaun O’Connor, General Chairman of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
“The Board’s report confirms that labor acted responsibly throughout this process and deserves a fair contract,” added Jeffrey Klein, General Chairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
“Our labor coalition and management both made presentations to the Board,” said Nick Peluso, National Vice President of the Transportation Communications Union. “The Board members reviewed the facts, and the facts supported labor. It’s now the time for our employer and [New York] Governor [Kathy] Hochul to show some support for the workers and the commuters that rely on the LIRR. Let’s get this done and keep the trains running.”
Railway Age Capitol Hill Contributing Editor Frank N. Wilner provided the following explanation of the commuter rail provisions of the RLA:
“Major Disputes on commuter railroads, including Amtrak commuter operations, are resolved under distinct procedures. Amtrak intercity passenger operations are subject to the RLA’s freight-railroad provisions.
“The NMB, a commuter rail authority, labor union, or a governor of a state through which the commuter railroad operates may request creation of a PEB. If appointed, there is imposed a 120-day status quo (no strikes; no lockouts) requirement.
“If, within the first 60 days, there is no resolution, the NMB must conduct a public hearing at which parties to the dispute testify.
“If a voluntary agreement is not reached by the end of the second 60-day period, the commuter authority, labor union, or governor may request a second PEB be created.
“If a second PEB is created, a new 30-day status quo period commences. If, by the end of that period, a voluntary settlement is not reached, the parties present to the second PEB a ‘last, best and final offer,’ with the PEB selecting, without modification, the one it finds most reasonable. The PEB’s selection is not binding. If a settlement still is not reached based upon the second PEB’s non-binding recommendations, a strike, unilateral promulgation of carrier-desired changes, or an employer lockout may commence. As with Major Disputes on freight railroads, the RLA at that point has run its course. Congress then may legislate settlement terms.
“Should labor commence a work stoppage, striking employees are denied, for the duration of the strike, unemployment benefits payable under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (RUIA). Should the commuter railroad reject the non-binding recommendations, precipitating a work stoppage, the commuter railroad may not take advantage of a carrier strike insurance plan.”
Click here for a mediation overview and FAQ from the NMB.
Further Reading:
The TTC and CUPE Local 2, which represents about 700 electrical workers, agreed to extend talks beyond the May 16 midnight deadline to 6 p.m. and then into the evening on May 16. The move, TTC said, came “as both sides believe there is enough progress to reach a deal.”
TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali on May 12 reported that discussions have been ongoing with CUPE Local 2. The union members, who are responsible for installing and maintaining critical subway, streetcar, and bus systems at TTC, include electricians, substations electricians, radio technicians, cable technicians, signal technicians, relay technicians, transit control technicians, SCADA technicians, overhead linespersons, and power systems controllers.
“As I’ve said from the beginning, the TTC is committed to reaching a fair and financially sustainable agreement with the 700 highly skilled electrical workers represented by CUPE Local 2 through a respectful and constructive dialogue,” Lali said in a statement. “Since my last update on April 30, discussions have been ongoing.
“Let me be clear. The TTC values the important and highly skilled work performed by CUPE Local 2 members. I began my career as a transit electrician, and I understand the safety-critical nature of this work. At the same time, the TTC has an obligation to manage public resources responsibly. Every dollar committed at the bargaining table is a dollar paid by taxpayers and riders, and every long-term cost decision has consequences for service reliability and affordability.
“The union’s current proposal would add approximately C$40 million in additional costs over the term of the agreement. This is on top of a compensation package that already places CUPE Local 2 members at the high end of the public‑sector pay and benefits spectrum.
“That existing package includes provisions that are significantly more generous than those found in most comparator agreements, including:
- “Double an employee’s regular hourly rate for overtime work
- “A 25% premium for Sunday work
“These provisions already provide CUPE Local 2 members with a level of compensation that exceeds most comparable agreements, before any additional increases now being sought.
“CUPE Local 2’s most recent agreement also delivered wage increases totaling 14.9% over four years, exceeding the 14.65% negotiated by the City of Toronto with CUPE Local 416. Even so, the TTC’s current offer continues to provide above‑inflation increases and wage growth that exceeds comparable transit agreements.
“Taken together, the union’s proposal is not fair, reasonable or affordable for the TTC, and it is not aligned with what other TTC employees or most Torontonians can expect to earn over the next three years. Advancing proposals of this scale makes reaching a negotiated settlement more difficult and frustrates progress at the bargaining table.
“The TTC cannot agree to proposals that place an unfair burden on taxpayers, customers and thousands of other frontline TTC employees.
“The TTC remains at the table, ready to negotiate, all day, every day to reach a fair and financially sustainable agreement that supports employees and protects reliable transit service for the millions of customers who rely on us daily.”
On Saturday, May 16, “the TTC will be in a legal lockout position, which mean the commission could prevent members of the union from doing their jobs,” according to CP24 in Toronto.
CUPE Local 2 President Sumit Guleria told reporters on May 14, that “the main issues continue to be around wages and scheduling,” according to CP24. “‘These members are simply asking for a reasonable deal,’ he said. ‘Our wage ask is no different than what has been offered recently to a peer municipal union.’”
“We want the city to know, we, as CUPE Local 2 members, are excited about the World Cup [in Toronto next month],” Guleria noted, according to CP24. “We are ready to play our role in supporting the event and we don’t want any disruptions.”
According to CP24, “Mandeep Lali has previously stated that the TTC has ‘robust contingency plans’ in place in the event of a labour disruption and the transit agency is ‘committed to providing uninterrupted transit service during the World Cup.’”
BACKGROUND
TTC CEO Mandeep S. Lali on March 17 reported that the agency formally filed for conciliation with CUPE Local 2 through Ontario’s Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
“While the current collective agreement with this bargaining unit does not expire until the end of the month, entering conciliation at this stage is intended to support a timely and constructive resolution to negotiations,” Lali said. “There is no impact on customers, service, or safety as a result of this step. Transit operations continue as normal.”
Conciliation, he noted, provides an opportunity for TTC and the union to work with an independent third party “to advance collective bargaining in a fair and efficient manner.”
“TTC remains focused on achieving an agreement that is fair to employees, reflects fiscal realities, and maintains operational continuity,” said Lali, noting that “[c]onstructive dialogue through conciliation is viewed as the most effective path to a mutually acceptable outcome.”
According to the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, if conciliation results in an agreement—meaning if the employer and the union settle their differences concerning the terms of the collective agreement during conciliation—the conciliation officer reports the results to the Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. A ratification vote needs to be held before the new agreement can have effect, it noted. The union and the employer must also file a copy of the agreement with the Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, as required by the Labor Relations Act.
If the union and the employer don’t reach an agreement during conciliation, the conciliation officer will report the outcome to the Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, and the Minister will send a written notice to the union and the employer. “Typically, this notice will inform the parties that a board of conciliation will not be appointed,” according to the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “This is commonly known as a ‘no-board.’ Less commonly, the notice will inform the parties that the process to appoint a board of conciliation (a three-person panel that attempts to help the parties agree on the matters referred to the board of conciliation) has been started.
“After the minister sends the notice, the union and the employer continue to have a duty to bargain in good faith and attempt to reach an agreement. Until a collective agreement has been concluded, the union and the employer have different options depending on the circumstances, including the following:
- “If the parties are able to engage in a legal strike or lock-out, the release of the ‘no-board’ notice begins the countdown to the date on which either the employer or the union could begin a legal work stoppage. See sections 79 and 122 of the LRA for rules related to the release of no-board notices, conciliation board reports, and communication by the minister.
- “If the parties are negotiating their first collective agreement, the union or the employer can apply to the Ontario Labor Relations Board to direct them to interest arbitration to settle the collective agreement in certain circumstances. The Board will determine whether to make that direction.
- “If the parties are not able, or have a limited ability, to strike or lock out, the release of the ‘no-board’ notice in a compulsory interest arbitration or essential services framework generally enables them to proceed to interest arbitration to resolve the dispute, where applicable.
For more details, click here.