LIRR worker set to retire in 10 days 'very surprised' by strike

Jeff Pacini, 55, said he started working for the LIRR in 1993 when he was 22 and has been a TCU member for his whole career.

Within a year of starting with the LIRR, he experienced the 1994 strike. And until last night, he never thought he would experience a strike again.

“I went to bed last night thinking that I was gonna wake up and come to work, not end up on a picket line,” Pacini said. “So I am very surprised,” he said.

Pacini said he is set to retire in 10 days. He is unsure if the strike will affect his retirement benefits.

He said the unions are not asking for much but feels like the MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul are taking them for granted.

“We've worked through Covid,” he said, then paused for a moment after getting emotional. “We never had a day off. We did the work so that they have record ridership, and we deserve a fair wage. We're not asking for more, and we want the governor and the MTA to hear us.”

Pacini, who is currently a ticket agent supervisor at the Ronkonkoma station, said he started out as a cleaner and has “done everything from mailman to ticket clerk” and is a former local TCU chairman.

“I get thousands of people on the train every day, and I'm happy and proud to help people, and we come from a great union and have a great job, and we don't take it for granted,” he said. “I hope we can get this fixed quick.”