NEW YORK (WABC) -- Long Island Rail Road workers went on strike as of 12:01 a.m. Saturday after not reaching a new contract deal with the MTA.
The union representing LIRR workers is pushing for higher pay, but MTA leaders warn that agreeing to those demands could trigger significant fare hikes.
The five unions represent 3,500 workers, including engineers, signalmen and trainmen.
The MTA is now rolling out a contingency plan that includes shuttle buses to help move riders. Some 300,000 commuters are impacted.
Both sides are still going back and forth after the MTA presented a new proposal and the LIRR unions countered, according to sources.
They are expected to negotiate, potentially, up until the midnight deadline.
The MTA has brought a new proposal to the table that is now being reviewed by the union. The union is deciding on a counter.
The details of the proposal have not been revealed.
A spokesperson for the coalition of LIRR unions representing workers said negotiations will continue Friday evening. The MTA will come back to them with another proposal between 5 and 6 p.m., and they are planning a news conference around 7 p.m.
For now, the MTA and unions are about 1% apart on wages, the union spokesperson said. LIRR has come down from 5% and MTA has gone up from 3%. MTA is in the mid-3% range and LIRR is in the upper-4% range.
The MTA has posted the schedule of the last LIRR trains to run in the event of a strike at midnight.
The agency said it will implement an orderly shutdown in the event of a strike
"If the strike does happen at 12:01 am, LIRR trains that are in service before midnight on Friday, May 15 will continue to their final destination. We recommend that you plan to finish your trip before midnight."
During the weekdays, the MTA will operate shuttle buses during the peak periods (4:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.). The buses have the capacity to transport about 13,000 riders from east to the city, and will drop off at bus locations in Queens where they'll have signs and MTA staff to assist customers, according to MTA officials.
The MTA also said they would work quickly and as soon as possible to resume service once the strike ends but that it would take them some time to resume service once the strike ends, due to the crew rest periods, where the equipment is and what time the strike ends.
See the list of last trains below:
Babylon Branch
11:45 p.m. westbound from Babylon to Penn Station
11:51 p.m. eastbound from Penn Station to Babylon
Brooklyn service
11:31 p.m. from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica
11:39 p.m. from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal
Far Rockaway Branch
11:30 p.m. eastbound from Grand Central to Far Rockaway
11:14 p.m. westbound from Far Rockaway to Grand Central
Hempstead Branch
10:55 p.m. westbound from Hempstead to Grand Central
11:54 p.m. eastbound from Grand Central to Hempstead
Long Beach Branch
10:53 p.m. westbound from Long Beach to Penn Station
11:57 p.m. eastbound from Penn Station to Long Beach
Montauk Branch
8:50 p.m. eastbound from Jamaica to Montauk
10:53 p.m. eastbound from Jamaica to Speonk
10:03 p.m. westbound from Montauk to Jamaica
11:30 p.m. westbound from Patchogue to Jamaica
Oyster Bay Branch
11:30 p.m. westbound from Oyster Bay to Jamaica
11:43 p.m. eastbound from Jamaica to Oyster Bay
Port Jefferson Branch
10:20 p.m. eastbound from Penn Station to Huntington with connection to Port Jefferson
11:48 p.m. eastbound from Penn Station to Huntington with no connection to Port Jefferson
11:52 p.m. westbound from Huntington to Penn Station
9:26 p.m. westbound from Port Jefferson to Huntington with connection to Penn Station
11:28 p.m. westbound from Port Jefferson to Huntington with no connection at Huntington
Port Washington Branch
11:36 p.m. westbound from Port Washington to Penn Station
11:45 p.m. from Penn Station to Port Washington
Ronkonkoma Branch
11:37 p.m. eastbound from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma
11:54 p.m. westbound from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station
West Hempstead Branch
11:18 p.m. eastbound from Jamaica to West Hempstead
11:58 p.m. westbound from West Hempstead to Jamaica
