MTA Board would have to approve any deal between management, union
A handshake agreement between MTA management and LIRR labor leaders won’t be enough to seal a new contract for railroad workers, even if members ratify it.
Like all MTA labor contracts, a tentative agreement would have to eventually be approved by the MTA Board, whose 23 members represent various parts of the MTA service region, including Nassau and Suffolk.
Sammy Chu, of Lindenhurst, who was appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, said he and his fellow board members are “very concerned” about nailing down a contract that the publicly funded MTA can afford.
MTA officials have said paying workers more than they’ve budgeted for could put pressure on the transit authority to further raise fares, reduce service, or cut jobs.
“I am as pro labor as it gets. My entire value system is born from the union movement, but there are a lot of consequences to consider here,” Chu said. “We worked really hard ... to get the budget where it needed to be.”
Another complicating factor if a settlement isn’t reached before Saturday’s deadline: the New York Knicks having “the season of the century.”
The NBA franchise could kick off its next round of playoffs on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, right above Penn Station.
“I don't think anyone wants the Knicks making it to the Eastern Conference Finals to go down in history because getting to the game was a total nightmare,” Chu said.
But, Chu added, “the MTA heading toward insolvency will dwarf the impact of a traffic jam around MSG.”
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.
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