At Massapequa rally, LIRR union workers vow to 'walk together' if contract negotiations fail

Hundreds of Long Island Rail Road union workers and supporters on Saturday stood together and vowed to "walk together" if the failure to negotiate what they consider a fair contract with the MTA forces them to go on strike in a week's time.

The crowd of more than 400 rallied at the Massapequa train station one week out from what would be the railroad's first strike in 30 years. Despite only representing about half the LIRR's union work force, the five unions involved in the contract fight presented a unified front, with support from other labor leaders and Long Island elected officials from both parties.

"This fight is about dignity. It's about respect. And it's about protecting the standard of living of hard working railroad families," Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, told rallygoers — many wearing red "LIRR Bargaining Coalition" T-shirts and holding signs with messages including "No contract, no work."

After three years of failed negotiations, the unions, which together represent about 3,500 LIRR workers, say they are prepared to strike on May 16 if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the LIRR's parent organization — does not agree to their demands for a 5% raise in the fourth year of their contract. Both sides have agreed to raises of 3%, 3% and 3.5%, respectively, in the first three years of a new deal, which would be retroactive to 2023.

Sexton called it a "break-even agreement" that would barely allow workers to keep up with the growing cost of living. The monthly increases in the Consumer Price Index for the metro area have ranged between 2.5% and 4.5% since March 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Rank-and-file railroaders in the crowd expressed anxiety over potentially walking off the job and forgoing their paychecks but said they were buoyed by the large show of support, including from the MTA's largest labor organization, the Transport Workers Union, which represents 40,000 city bus and subway employees.

"Talking to the older guys, they've come close to a strike but it's never fully transpired," said Marco Baldan, 33, of Seaford, who works overnights for the LIRR as a block operator and attended the rally after his shift ended at 5 a.m. "It is scary, but at the same time it has to be done. Otherwise we're just going to get taken advantage of."

Denis Ginley, 57, an electrician from Centereach, recalled participating in the NYC MTA transit strike two decades ago.

"We struck because it made a difference," he said. "It was important to us to show the government, the MTA, that our lives matter."

Ginley said he believes the union workers are just trying to "maintain a steady lifestyle."

"This just doesn't affect us, it affects our communities here on Long Island," he said.

The unions and MTA management have met three times over the past two weeks and have more talks lined up next week. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber on Friday said the transit authority had made a new offer with additional money for workers, but the unions dismissed the proposal as consisting of lump sum payments and other "gimmicks" and not meaningful wage increases.

MTA spokesman Tim Minton on Saturday called the Massapequa gathering "the first-ever 'Rally for a Fare Hike' " because paying the unions the raises they demand could force the MTA to raise rates to cover the additional cost.

"Throughout this negotiation the MTA has put forward ideas to avoid a strike while the unions stuck with their push for budget-busting wage increases funded by fare increases and tax hikes that would unduly burden working New Yorkers," Minton said in a statement. "We need to work together to close a deal and keep Long Island moving."

Despite MTA leaders repeatedly bringing up that LIRR employees are already among the highest paid railroad workers in the United States, union members expressed confidence that they'll have the public's support during a strike.

"I would like to think they'd be sympathetic," said William White, a communications technician who has worked for the LIRR for 27 years. "Commuters ride every day. There's going to be bumps in the road. There's delays here and there. … But we provide a great service."