LIRR workers strike after marathon negotiations come up empty

Long Island Rail Road employees went on strike Saturday for the first time since 1994, after eleventh-hour bargaining between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and labor unions representing 3,500 employees failed to yield a deal.

Union and MTA officials came out of talks shortly after midnight and held separate news conferences, trading accusations of negotiating in bad faith. There was no timetable for the next round of talks and union officials said the sides were "far apart."

Unions said the MTA came in with an "eleventh hour" proposal for new LIRR employees to contribute to their healthcare, while the MTA chairman blasted workers for being the highest paid in the country, making $136,000 a year.

Read the full story about Friday's negotiations that failed to avert a strike.