LIRR workers warn of 'disaster for Long Island' as they prepare to strike in May
Source: Gothamist-WNYC
By Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 8, 2026 at 4:23 p.m. ET
The leaders of five unions representing more than half of the Long Island Rail Road workforce on Wednesday warned they were prepared to go on strike next month — and claimed that MTA officials have stonewalled contract negotiations.
Kevin Sexton, national vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said during a press conference the workers would walk off the job on May 16 if they don’t reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the transit agency.
Sexton said a strike would halt service on the country’s busiest commuter railroad, which “would be a disaster for Long Island.”
“No one wants a strike,” said Sexton. “Our friends, our families, our neighbors, our communities rely on this system.”
Read more: https://gothamist.com/news/lirr-workers-warn-of-disaster-for-long-island-as-they-prepare-to-strike-in-may