The deal Monday brought an end to a labor walkout that had gripped Long Island Rail Road operations since 12:01 a.m. Saturday and had left thousands of commuters searching for alternate routes each morning and evening, the Associated Press reported. Hochul said the agreement will not increase fares or taxes and will give employees fair wages, while also saying she could not disclose the contract’s specific terms until union members review and vote on the proposal.
As bargaining continued, officials laid out a timetable for service restoration. Robert Free, the Long Island Rail Road president, said the system’s major commuter lines would begin running trains by noon Tuesday, with full service to all branches expected by the afternoon rush hour. Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said union leaders believe the deal is fair but declined to provide details about what the railroad promised workers, saying union officials would share more information soon with rank-and-file members.
Hochul said at a news conference Monday evening that negotiations “are rarely easy,” and she described what unfolded over the last few days as part of the collective bargaining process. She said union members would need to vote on the contract before any changes are finalized, a step that would determine whether the agreement takes effect.
The strike’s disruption began when the unions—representing about half of the rail system’s workforce—walked out, stalling the service used by roughly 250,000 commuters on a weekday. The Long Island Rail Road connects New York City to its eastern Long Island suburbs, and its shutdown prompted changes across the region’s travel patterns as riders sought alternatives.
Hochul urged commuters to work from home again Tuesday if possible, while the MTA that runs the railroad had offered free but limited shuttle buses during the morning and evening rush hours starting Monday. Ridership on the shuttles was lighter than the MTA had prepared for, with more than 2,000 people taking advantage of the service during the morning commute compared with a planned estimate of about 13,000 riders.
Union officials and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority negotiated for a new contract for years. The AP reported that the two sides had been bargaining for a new agreement since 2023, with the talks prompted years earlier by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and leaders of five labor unions beginning contract bargaining for a new deal. The negotiations included involvement from the National Mediation Board, a federal agency that governs labor relations for railroads and airlines.
The dispute also included a later federal intervention. The AP reported that the Trump administration got involved in September after the unions asked for the appointment of a panel of experts, which temporarily averted a strike, but the two sides still did not reach a deal after months passed.
Commuter impacts extended beyond daily commuting. Over the weekend, baseball fans had to find other ways to reach Citi Field in Queens to watch the New York Mets play the New York Yankees. Hochul said the deal also aims to prevent similar problems for sports fans on Tuesday, noting that the Knicks’ playoff home games at Madison Square Garden are located above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan.
Before this latest walkout, Long Island Rail Road workers last went on strike in 1994. The parties’ agreement Monday concluded a disruption that had begun with the 12:01 a.m. Saturday stoppage and had carried into Monday as rush-hour travel approached.