The Metropolitan Transportation Authority put a $134 million offer on the table Wednesday in a last-ditch bid to avoid a Long Island Rail Road strike, while Gov. Kathy Hochul pressed both sides to find a middle ground before a walkout could hit 270,000 daily riders.
Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s chief negotiator, said the compensation package was worth $133,788,000 and matched a proposal recommended by White House mediators. He said the offer put all of the money the unions had asked for on the table, and added that he believed a deal was present, available and doable by Thursday.
The White House mediators’ recommended settlement would have given workers 4.5% raises in the fourth year of the contract, but the unions have been demanding 5% raises. A strike could begin as early as 12:01 a.m. Saturday if no agreement is reached, raising the stakes in talks that have dragged on over pay and contract terms.
The MTA and the five LIRR unions were still negotiating in Manhattan as the deadline approached. The unions represent about half of the railroad’s 7,000-member organized labor force, which means any stoppage would ripple through a system that depends on a large share of those workers to keep trains running.
Hochul said at a Jones Beach news conference that the sides needed to “find a middle ground,” saying workers deserve to be paid fairly but that the state also “must be responsible with public funds.” Her appeal came as the unions themselves signaled some movement toward a settlement, saying in a statement before Wednesday’s talks that there had been positive progress and then offering a new proposal during negotiations.
There was still one major point of friction. A union source said the unions would not accept a deal built around a one-time payment, underscoring that the dispute is not just about the size of the money on the table but how it is delivered. Kevin Sexton, spokesman for the five LIRR unions, said it was far-fetched to say the sides were close. With the clock ticking toward Saturday morning, the question is no longer whether there is money available. It is whether either side will accept the shape of the deal before riders feel the consequences.
