LIRR strike talks: MTA says 'closer' to deal; unions call new offer 'phony'

The MTA has "put money on the table" in a new proposal to the Long Island Rail Road unions threatening to strike in a week, the head of the transit authority said Friday.

But labor leaders said the new offer does not bring a settlement nearer and is made up of "gimmicks" rather than meaningful wage increases for workers.

At a Manhattan news conference Friday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Janno Lieber said that after two bargaining sessions with union leaders this week, "progress has been made" toward a settlement that would stave off a May 16 union work stoppage — the first in more than three decades for the LIRR.

"I would say we are closer, although we aren’t there yet," Lieber said. "It's their turn to come back and respond to the new proposal that's been put on the table. ... There's an opportunity to close a deal right now."

But the coalition of five unions representing 3,500 LIRR workers dismissed the significance of the MTA’s newest proposal, which they said in a statement is made up of "one-time lump sum payments and other gimmicks" and not the wage increases sought by workers to keep up with the rising cost of living.

"What was presented did not move us closer to a settlement," Jeff Klein, general chairman of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 589 said in a statement. "Every day as a result of the MTA’s phony surface bargaining, we move closer to the May 16 strike date."

At issue is the size of raises in a fourth year of a retroactive contract spanning 2023-2026. Both sides have agreed to three years of wage increases at 3%, 3% and 3.5%. The unions want 5% in a fourth year. The MTA, in its prior proposal, offered 4.5%, but only if workers agree to several productivity increases and work rule concessions.

Both sides have also previously agreed to a $3,000 lump sum "signing bonus" for workers upon ratification of a new contract.

MTA officials would not disclose details of their latest offer, but Lieber said it provides workers "money in the pockets of the families they represent." He also noted that, because striking employees won't get paid, even a short work stoppage would quickly eat away at the additional wages workers are seeking.

"No one is playing gimmicks. What we've got is money on the table," Lieber said. "At this point we’re getting close enough that it would be, I think, crazy for the workforce who is looking for more money to throw it away by going on a strike."

The MTA rolled out its new proposal over a pair of negotiating sessions this week. Lieber said discussions will "informally" continue over the weekend, and that negotiations will resume Monday. 

Kevin Sexton, national vice president for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and a spokesman for the unions, disputed that there would be talks over the weekend. Despite the new offer, he said the transit agency continues to show "no sense of urgency" in resolving the contract dispute.

"Our members know that a lump-sum payment quickly goes away," said Sexton, who pointed out that Lieber has not attended recent talks. "Their failure to negotiate for all of these months makes his remarks about what’s best for workers meaningless."

A week out from a potential strike, the unions have scheduled a public rally in Massapequa Saturday. The unions said "hundreds of LIRR workers and supporters are expected to attend."

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.