LIRR workers ratify new contract following strike
Union leaders hailed the agreement as a major victory, emphasizing that workers did not have to give up any existing benefits or work rules to secure the raises.
One month after the Long Island Rail Road strike disrupted service across the region, members of the five unions that walked off the job have overwhelmingly approved a new labor contract.
At least 96 percent of union members voted in favor of the agreement.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the contract provides workers with wage increases totaling 14 percent over four years, with much of the money coming in the form of retroactive pay. The most significant point of contention during negotiations was the contract’s fourth and final year, which includes a 4.5 percent pay raise.
Union leaders hailed the agreement as a major victory, emphasizing that workers did not have to give up any existing benefits or work rules to secure the raises.
Questions remain, however, about how the MTA will cover the added labor costs and whether riders could eventually face higher fares as a result.
Both the MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul have said the contract will not require additional fare increases beyond those already planned.
News 12 has learned that the contract term was extended by six weeks, delaying future raises and reducing the effective pay increase in the budget. Workers will also be required to complete computer-based training on their own time, reducing the need for overtime and will receive digital paychecks instead of paper pay stubs, changes expected to generate savings for the railroad.
The MTA is currently planning a 4 percent fare increase for March of next year. During negotiations, however, the agency’s chief financial officer warned that fare hikes could have reached 8 percent if the unions’ wage demands had been fully accommodated without offsetting savings.
Some riders remain skeptical that the long-term costs of the agreement will not eventually be passed on to commuters.
“Somebody has to pay for it,” said LIRR passenger Mala Khetan. “It’s going to be the people who ride the train, unfortunately. But I have to say these are great trains.”
The MTA Board is expected to consider the new contract at its meeting later this week.
