Past guvs swooped in to avoid strikes. Hochul hasn't yet.

Governors in the past have sometimes swooped in to try to settle contentious labor contracts and avoid transit strikes.

So far, Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn't.

The governor was in Buffalo on Thursday for a ceremony to honor the victims of the 2022 mass shooting at a Tops supermarket. A day earlier, she was on Long Island for a series of news conferences on separate events but, when asked about the potential LIRR strike, she called on labor and management to find "middle ground" before the strike deadline.

Experts have noted LIRR collective bargaining process is governed by federal, not state, law — unlike MTA subway and bus workers. That might mean a governor has no official role, but in 2014 then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after insisting he had no role, jumped into LIRR-MTA talks to avoid a strike.

Like then, 2026 is a gubernatorial election year.

"She's urged both sides to lock themselves in a room and work around the clock to reach a settlement," a Hochul spokesman said, adding the issue is "top of mind for her."

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy