The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended late Monday after five unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a tentative agreement following several days of negotiations, officials announced at an evening news conference.
Union and MTA representatives announced the deal after negotiations resumed in the afternoon and continued into the night, ending the work stoppage that had halted service and caused widespread travel disruptions across Long Island and in New York City.
“We have good news tonight,” Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and spokesman for the Long Island Railroad Bargaining Coalition, said. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.”
Although East Meadow has no LIRR station of its own, residents were still affected by the strike — and relieved to see it end.
Commuters shared they typically take the train from Westbury, Merrick, Bellmore or Hicksville. In a Facebook forum with the Herald, many shared they were planning to work from home, but for others, getting into Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens is essential for work or school. Some planned to drive or make it to a subway station in Jamaica either by car or bus.
A fire late last week in the East River tunnels leading into Penn Station caused widespread service disruptions, serving as a frustrating prelude to an already complicated commuting puzzle.
“I am a commuter,” Luisa Cristina said. “I park at the Bellmore train station and work on weekdays and weekends… between the tunnel fire and now this strike, we were all very inconvenienced.”
Sexton said that details of the agreement would not be released immediately, citing the need for member review ahead of ratification votes. However, public radio station WYNC reported that the four-year deal includes retroactive pay and expires in July 2027.
“Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics,” he said. “What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region.”
He added that any premature disclosure of details could complicate ratification.
“We don’t want to fail ratification,” Sexton said. “If they get part of this story through the media, it may impact their decision.”
The agreement is subject to a 30-day period in which union members will review and vote on the tentative deal before it becomes official.
The shutdown began after five railroad unions went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following the expiration of a federally mandated cooling-off period. The work stoppage led to widespread delays across Long Island, with shuttle buses operating on limited routes and commuters urged to work remotely where possible.
Sexton also said that tensions escalated late in the negotiations on Friday night, when the MTA introduced proposed health care contributions for newly hired employees, an issue he said had not previously been part of bargaining discussions.
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the agreement was reached after continued bargaining focused on balancing worker pay with affordability for commuters and taxpayers.
“I’m truly pleased to share that the five Long Island Rail Road unions and the MTA were able to come together and reach a fair deal this evening,” Hochul said. “The contract achieved two principles: protecting affordability for Long Islanders and commuters while giving fair wages to the employees.”
Officials said that the LIRR would begin restoring service in phases starting Tuesday at noon, with limited hourly service on four main branches, before expanding systemwide service later in the day. The MTA said that the contingency bus service that operated during the shutdown would continue Tuesday morning before being phased out as train service ramped up.
Hochul said that roughly 3,500 LIRR employees would receive raises under the agreement, while fare and tax increases would not be part of the deal. “I also did not accept a deal for compromise affordability for Long Islanders,” she said. “At a time when everything is going up, I’m not going to allow taxes or fares to go up. Period. Full stop. Got it done.”
Officials said that additional details on full system restoration were expected as crews completed inspections, reposition equipment and return employees to scheduled assignments.
It was the first Long Island Rail Road strike since June 17, 1994. That strike lasted two days before a contract settlement was reached.
