On September 11, 2025, the 809 members of BRS Locals 56 and 241 working for Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike as a result of the ongoing contract dispute. The BRS is bargaining in the Long Island Rail Road Bargaining Coalition (LIRRBC), consisting of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU). The LIRRBC represents 55% of the unionized workforce on LIRR.
The LIRRBC has been bargaining in good faith for two years; yet, LIRR has never recognized the LIRRBC nor attempted to bargain in good faith. Mediation through the National Mediation Board (NMB) was invoked in January 2024, and after many meetings—both in person and virtual—and despite the NMB’s best efforts, LIRR still would not engage in good-faith bargaining. This led to the parties being released from mediation by the NMB on August 18, 2025. A mandatory 30-day cooling-off period is set to expire at 12:01 AM on Thursday, September 18, 2025. At that point, either party can legally exercise self-help through a strike or lockout, unless a party to the dispute or New York Governor Hochul requests the establishment of a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). Should a PEB be established, strikes or lockouts are not permitted until the PEB process is completed and a subsequent cooling-off period expires. The PEB will issue a non-binding recommendation.
The dispute between the parties centers on wages. LIRR wants the LIRRBC to accept an agreement that fails to keep pace with the cost of living in the areas where our members live. Moreover, the agreement offered by LIRR is significantly less in value than agreements being reached at comparable commuter railroads. Essentially, LIRR’s offer would result in members losing money, amounting to a 2.8% loss in real wages. The LIRRBC and the members it represents have made it clear that such a proposal is a non-starter.
Conversely, the LIRRBC’s proposal provides for reasonable, modest wage growth. It is important to note that the LIRRBC reduced its offers throughout negotiations to a bare-bones proposal that merely maintains real wages over the life of the agreement. The BRS will not rest until a fair contract is reached and, if necessary, will use every legal means available to achieve it.
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