Mamdani says LIRR contract is fair

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying he thinks the Long Island Rail Road union contract proposal appears to be fair, is looking forward to service resuming and making life easier for New Yorkers.

"We see it’s been incredibly difficult for New Yorkers over these past few days to negotiate their day-to-day needs. Now at 12 p.m., they're going to see it gets that little bit easier," he said, after looking at his wristwatch.

Asked whether he thought the deal is fair, Mamdani said: “It looks like it.”

“I think obviously this still has to be ratified by unions. But given the way in which it’s being responded to, I think that many New Yorkers are overjoyed at the fact that we’re going to see a resumption of service in about 46, 47 minutes, and that that is something that is important for the workers who keep our commuter rail running and also for the New Yorkers who rely on that commuter rail.”

Asked about highest-in-the-nation salaries for rail workers LIRR salaries, some more than the mayor's own, which is about $260,000, he said: “I think the most important thing is that when you’re looking at these kinds of contracts, there’s an acknowledgment of the kind of work that is being done to ensure this commuter rail system is continuing to operate, and also the importance that it plays in the lives of so many New Yorkers, those who live in New York City but those who are also commuting into New York City. I also don’t think of my own salary as a barometer."

He was speaking at an unrelated event in Queens about childcare alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul.

He said he wasn't familiar enough with LIRR work rules, such as one giving three days' pay for a single shift's work for driving different kinds of trains, to comment.

Hochul left the event abruptly, before anyone could ask her a question. Newsday tried to ask her about the strike and the deal but she walked away without answering.