Gov. Kathy Hochul: Focus is on deal to prevent strike by LIRR workers
Source: Newsday
By Alfonso A. Castillo Updated May 11, 2026 9:53 pm
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday she’s committed to getting LIRR workers a "deal that is going to prevent a strike" just five days away.
Hochul, at an unrelated news conference, said she and her team are "immersed in the details" of the ongoing labor negotiations between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and five unions representing nearly 3,500 LIRR workers. If unresolved, the unions have said they will go on strike beginning Saturday, shutting down the nation’s largest commuter railroad and displacing about 270,000 daily riders.
"I am involved," said Hochul, who oversees the MTA and appoints many of its board members. "We just want to make sure that New York is affordable for everyone and make sure, as they negotiate, that they get the deal that is going to prevent a strike. I’m committed to that."
After failing to reach a deal at a pair of negotiating sessions last week, both sides returned to the bargaining table in Bethpage on Monday for negotiations overseen by the National Mediation Board.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday in Manhattan where she said she and her team are "immersed in the details" of negotiations between MTA pfficials and LIRR labor unions. Credit: Ed Quinn
Read more: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/gov-kathy-hochul-mta-lirr-strike-xwbbcg3w