Long Island Rail Road strike enters day 2 with no talks scheduled

Source: ABC 7 NY (AP)

Sunday, May 17, 2026 6:15AM

NEW YORK -- Union workers return to the picket lines on Sunday, but there is still no word on when negotiations between labor leaders and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will resume.

For the region's roughly 300,000 daily Long Island Rail Road riders, the disruption continues. Train service remains suspended following a strike that began early Saturday, bringing the nation's busiest commuter rail system to a standstill.

Approximately 3,500 union workers - about half of the LIRR workforce - walked off the job, marking the railroad's first strike in more than three decades. The labor action follows three years of unsuccessful contract negotiations, two federal interventions, and a last-minute round of bargaining that ultimately failed to produce an agreement.

Five labor unions representing engineers, signal workers, and machinists say they are protesting what they describe as insufficient wage increases. The MTA, however, blames union leaders for the breakdown, saying it has made offers that include pay raises but claims unions have been unwilling to compromise.

Read more: https://abc7ny.com/post/lirr-strike-enters-day-2-no-talks-scheduled-between-mta-unions/19117562/