NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Long Island Rail Road’s locomotive engineers union voted Monday to authorize a strike as its members push for higher wages—but it and a coalition of other unions also asked the Trump administration to intervene, delaying a potential walkout that had loomed over the island.
The near-unanimous results of the vote were announced Monday afternoon by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) at a press conference in Manhattan. The union represents some 600 engineers who say they've been without a contract since 2022.
While they have approved a strike, BLET and four other LIRR unions also said Monday that they asked the Trump administration to intervene in the contract dispute by forming a Presidential Emergency Board—a move that likely avoids the strike for months to come as negotiations continue under federal mediation.
The presidential emergency board would extend negotiations to January 2026. They could then be extended again until May.
In reversing its position and requesting the emergency board, the union said it was being "the grown-up in the room" as operation of the nation’s largest commuter rail line hangs in the balance.
"This action does not mean a strike won't happen, but it does mean it won't happen now," said BLET's general chairman, Gil Lang, who said the vote sent an "unmistakable message" that the union is "unified, committed and prepared to take all lawful actions necessary to secure a fair and reasonable contract."
In a statement Monday, the MTA's chief spokesman, John McCarthy, criticized the move by the unions.
"If these unions wanted to put riders first, they would either settle or agree to binding arbitration," McCarthy said. "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."
Some 3,700 LIRR workers represented by the five unions are seeking a 16% raise over a three-year period, calling the MTA’s offer of a 9.5% raise too little to keep up with inflation. They point to the commuter rail's 96.6% on-time performance and post-pandemic ridership records. "They are the reason this rail road operates day in and day out," said Shaun O’Connor, general chairman of International Association of Machinists District 19, which represents hundreds of LIRR workers.
In a statement Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the LIRR a “lifeline for nearly 300,000 Long Islanders each day” and said there’s a “fair offer on the table.”
“I have directed the MTA to be ready to negotiate anytime,” the governor 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.”
As Hochul puts pressure on the unions, the MTA has contingency plans in place, including shuttle buses at several LIRR stations. The agency is also encouraging anyone who can to work from home in the event of a strike.
The strike would be the first LIRR strike in more than 30 years.