Long Island Rail Road unions set May 16 strike start if no deal
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A coalition of five LIRR unions (Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Transportation Communications Union) is legally free to strike from 16 May 2026, when the federally mandated 60-day cooling-off period after Presidential Emergency Board 254's report (issued 16 March 2026) expires. PEB 254 sided with the unions, recommending a 14.5% pay increase over four years and a $3,000 lump sum. Retroactive 3% raises for 2023 and 2024 and 3.5% for 2025 are agreed; the sticking point is 2026 pay (MTA offers 3%, unions seek 5%). A walkout would halt commuter rail between Long Island and New York City — affecting ~300,000 daily passengers.
This alert was originally created on 25 April 2026.
Public Impact
Effective Dates
Updates
Organizers
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
- Trainmen (BLET)
- Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
- International Association of Machinists
- Aerospace Workers (IAMAW)
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
- Transportation Communications Union (TCU)
Affected Locations
- New York City
- Long Island, New York
Sources
- https://abc7ny.com/post/mta-faces-potential-transit-disruptions-ahead-may-16-lirr-strike-deadline-looms/18860703
- https://blet.org/news/lirr-labor-coalition-presents-case-to-a-second-presidential-emergency-board
- https://news.bloomberglaw.com/new-york-brief/nys-long-island-rail-road-faces-potential-strike-in-mid-may
- https://nmb.gov/NMB_Application/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PEB-254-Report.pdf
- https://www.mta.info/article/lirr-strike-may-2026
- https://gothamist.com/news/lirr-workers-warn-of-disaster-for-long-island-as-they-prepare-to-strike-in-may
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