Long Island Rail Road workers went on strike after failing to reach a new contract deal with the MTA by the deadline of 12:01 a.m. Saturday, crippling the largest commuter rail system in the nation.
No further talks are scheduled at this point and picketing will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at Penn Station and Ronkonkoma Station. The railroad is completely shut down, but trains that had begun their trips before the midnight deadline will reach their final destinations so that no passengers are left stranded.
"While some progress had been made toward a settlement earlier in the evening MTA refused to close the gap and toward the end of the night management clearly wanted to provoke a strike than settle by adding healthcare takeaways and other issues to the table literally in the 11th hour that had never been raised previously," the unions said in a press release.
Union leaders held an update after failing to reach a deal with the MTA on a new contract by the Saturday midnight deadline.
Kevin Sexton of the National Vice President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said no new negotiations have been scheduled.
"We're far apart at this point," Sexton said. "We are truly sorry that we are in this situation."
Janno Lieber, the CEO of the MTA, said the strike was "obviously not the result we are looking for" and that everyone loses with a strike.
He said the MTA board cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes the budget, saying the agency fought hard to get back on a solid financial footing.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber spoke after contract negotiations ended without a deal at midnight, saying, "The MTA board cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes the budget."
Lieber also said the MTA wants to avoid a deal that forces fare hikes.
Lieber said it was shocking the unions depicting workers as underpaid.
"We gave them everything they wanted in terms of pay and they still rejected the offer." he said.
Lieber said it became apparent the unions always wanted to strike.
The strike will force the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system each weekday to find alternative routes into New York City from its Long Island suburbs or to work from home. That means more cars on traffic-choked highways and longer work commutes.
The union has demanded a total raise of 16% over four years, saying it is needed to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs. The MTA argued that the union's initial demands would lead to fare increases. The authority has agreed to a pay raise of at least 9.5% over the next three years, plus what would effectively amount to a 4.5% raise in year four.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
