The majority of the unionized workers at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), approximately 3,500 railroaders, have gone years without a raise. Contract talks were held this past Monday and again on Thursday, with the assistance of the federal National Mediation Board, but little progress was made. Until this past week, the LIRR, controlled by New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), has only agreed to sit down and bargain with a coalition of five unions, including BLET, once since August of 2025. This week’s negotiations with MTA/LIRR managers only happened after a public shaming brought by BLET General Chairman Gil Lang at last week’s televised MTA board meeting (read more here and watch a video).
The unions in the coalition are asking for wage improvements that keep pace with the high cost of living on Long Island. Two Presidential Emergency Boards composed of rail industry experts have called for raises for the LIRR workers and supported the unions’ position.
On Friday, 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. Under the Railway Labor Act, “self-help,” where a strike would become lawful, begins at 12:01 a.m., Saturday May 16.
This Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. until noon, BLET and the other unions in the LIRR rail coalition will hold a “Day of Action to Protest the MTA’s Inaction.” Hundreds of rail workers and union supporters are expected at the Massapequa LIRR Station in Nassau County. BLET members and supporters in the New York Metropolitan Area are encouraged to attend the rally and take action against MTA’s inaction.
The MTA’s Chair and CEO Janno Lieber rather than working toward a settlement, has been encouraging commuters at the nation’s busiest commuter railroad to stay home if there is a strike and work virtually. Lieber told reporters at a recent news conference that it won’t be a major problem if the trains stop moving, “We’re in a different world” and “people have the capacity to remote work…”
Not everyone can work remotely. BLET members on Long Island and their labor allies know that the LIRR is important to Long Island. They live there. Lieber does not. He lives in “a different world.”
In addition to BLET, the coalition of five LIRR rail unions includes the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU).
For more information, watch the following news videos:
- ABC 7 New York — LIRR strike threat looms on May 16
- News 12 Long Island — LIRR union leaders: Talks with MTA stall eight days before strike deadline