Incident location, Long Island
What Happened
Long Island Rail Road workers remained on picket lines across New York City and Long Island on Sunday as the strike entered its second day, with major concerns mounting over Monday morning’s commute for the roughly 250,000 weekday riders who depend on North America’s busiest commuter rail system. CBS New York reported that workers went on strike just after midnight Saturday without any future negotiations scheduled, following months of stalled contract talks over salaries and healthcare premiums.
The National Mediation Board announced Sunday evening that it summoned LIRR union leaders and Metropolitan Transportation Authority management to a meeting to resume bargaining. Workers picketed outside Penn Station and at various Long Island locations on May 17, 2026, voicing their concerns as the work stoppage has already caused disruptions for weekend events including the Mets-Yankees Subway Series.
“The MTA never really came to the table to negotiate until we had to call them out at their last board meeting,” said Karl Bischoff, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “There is no sense or urgency, as has been said before. It just seems like the MTA board is never held accountable.” Steve Ammirati, also with the union, added that “the raises weren’t really raises, when you factor in inflation.”
MTA President and CEO Janno Lieber responded that the agency “never broke off negotiations” and that “the union elected to cut off negotiations and go on strike and inconvenience everybody.” He emphasized that LIRR workers are “by far the best-paid workers in the entire national railroad system” and criticized unions for wanting “a better deal than every other MTA worker.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, her opponent in the upcoming November election, both addressed the strike Sunday morning. Hochul said workers “deserve fair wages and benefits” but warned that “just three days of a strike would erase every dollar of additional salary that workers would receive under a new contract.” Blakeman blamed Hochul for the strike, calling it “a failure of leadership,” and called for congestion pricing to be suspended for the duration of the work stoppage.
Location & Road Context
The strike affects the entire Long Island Rail Road system, which serves commuters traveling from Nassau and Suffolk counties into New York City. The MTA has activated its contingency plan with limited, free shuttle buses starting at 4:30 a.m. Monday from several Long Island stations to subway connections in Queens. Bay Shore, Hicksville, Mineola and Lakeview will connect to Howard Beach-JFK Airport, while Ronkonkoma and Huntington will serve Jamaica-179th Street. Commuter parking will be available for $6 at Citi Field, which connects to the Mets-Willets Point subway station.
Broader Impact
Transportation expert Sam Schwartz warned of far-reaching ripple effects, predicting that “people on the A train will see bigger crowds” and that “the Belt Parkway backed up like they haven’t seen in a long time.” Commuters expressed concern about dramatically extended travel times, with one rider estimating trips could increase “from 40 minute rides to like two hours and 30 minutes.” New York City plans to deploy NYPD officers at subway stations and have Emergency Management standing by at shuttle bus hubs where large crowds are expected. The MTA announced it intends to issue pro-rated refunds to May monthly ticket holders.