MTA STILL PLAYING GAMES!
Half-Day Left to Reach a Fair Settlement Over a Fair Wage for LIRR Railroaders and to Keep the Trains Running. Contract Talks Resume Today, Friday, May 15 in Manhattan at 11 a.m.
Coalition of LIRR unions was prepared to bargain all night at MTA’s 2 Broadway headquarters, but MTA in a staged theatrical display that better belonged on the other end of Broadway, walked out at 9:40 p.m., ending Thursday’s talks. Rather than making the LIRR negotiations a priority, MTA has chosen to meet this morning with TWU Local 100, the union representing NYC transit workers.
“The key question is: Will MTA and Gov. Hochul create frustration and gridlock for commuters, spend millions on buses during a strike and take millions in lost revenue over what amounts to roughly a one percent difference in wages?” — National Vice President of the Transportation Communications Union Nick Peluso
NEW YORK — Contract talks are scheduled to resume today in Manhattan at 11 a.m. between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the coalition of five Long Island Rail Road unions that represent the majority of LIRR’s unionized workforce. Today’s bargaining session will begin a little more than a half-day prior to the strike deadline of 12:01 a.m. Yesterday’s bargaining session began at 10 a.m. and aside from a short break lasted until 9:40 p.m. when MTA walked out of the talks.
“After literally years of stalling, gimmicks, fearmongering and game-playing MTA finally started negotiating real wages Thursday,” said Kevin Sexton, who serves as vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers & Trainmen (BLET) and is the coalition’s lead spokesman. “They offered more than a three percent wage increase, and we came down from our five percent ask. The union representatives were prepared to stay at the table all night, but management chose to put on a show. MTA’s chief negotiator Gary Dellaverson slammed his file folders on the table and walked out. It was quite a performance.”
“The coalition of five LIRR unions has said that its 3,500 members need an agreement that addresses rising inflation and the high cost of living on Long Island. Earlier this week, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation accelerated 3.8 percent in April and is expected to further increase.
“The unions have come down from 6.5% to 5% in March, and after last night our ask is in the upper 4s, MTA’s is in the mid-3s,” said National Vice President of the Transportation Communications Union Nick Peluso. “The key question is: Will MTA and Gov. Hochul create frustration and gridlock for commuters, spend millions on buses during a strike and lose millions in revenue over what amounts to roughly a one percent difference in wages?”
Before last night, rather than acknowledge the rising cost of living for workers on Long Island and the fact that inflationary pressures will be with us throughout 2026 and beyond, MTA offered gimmicks at the bargaining table, held news conferences with false narratives and engaged in illegal intimidation tactics against LIRR’s probationary employees. While some progress was made last night on a new agreement, a gap remains.
MTA continues to show a lack of urgency. In addition to walking away from the table last night and starting talks late, they chose to meet with TWU Local 100, the union representing NYC transit workers this morning rather than the LIRR unions.
“I spoke with TWU’s International President John Samuelsen last night, he thought that it was nuts for MTA to be meeting with TWU at this time,” said BLET General Chairman at the LIRR Gil Lang. “You would think that MTA’s first, second, third, fourth, and fifth priorities today would be to meet with our five unions. If any one of our unions walk it would shut down the LIRR tomorrow.”
“I think MTA and Dellaverson have a big book that says delay here, threaten there, play games, come up with gimmicks, on and on. When you get to the last page, it says that when the stunts fail, settle with the union. I hope we get to that page before time runs out of today,” said Michael Sullivan, General Chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen.
While hoping for a settlement, strike preparations continue today for the five unions on Long Island.
“The resolve and solidarity between our five unions is unprecedented at the LIRR,” said Shaun O’Connor, IAM General Chairman - District 19. “We act as one at the bargaining table and if necessary, we will be united on the picket lines, tomorrow and the days beyond.”
The coalition of five rail unions includes the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), 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
