In-person talks between the Long Island Rail Road unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority concluded Wednesday evening without a deal.
Talks had resumed Wednesday afternoon in Midtown, just days before a possible strike that could affect 300,000 daily riders.
MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast stepped away early from the negotiations Wednesday afternoon, but MTA spokesperson Adam Lisberg told reporters not to read anything into the MTA chairman’s early exit.
Lisberg said that Prendergast left early only because he has work to do at the agency he runs.
“Both sides are still at the table negotiating upstairs,” Lisberg said. “He has made clear from the beginning, and the unions have understood this, that he has an MTA to run, and when it’s helpful for him to be at the table, he will be. At other times, it’s best left to the negotiators from both sides to be doing this work.”
Prendergast did not speak to members of the media on the way in, but the union leader Anthony Simon said was ready to talk again after a two-day hiatus.
“Obviously we all know, the governor of the state of New York tells you to come to the table, you come to the table. But we as labor leaders never wanted to leave the table,” Simon said.
Word they were headed back to the bargaining table came shortly after Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement saying they must work continuously to avoid a strike.
In it, he said, “The Long Island Rail Road is a critical transportation system for Long Island and New York City. We must do everything we can to prevent Long Islanders from being held hostage by a strike that would damage the regional economy and be highly disruptive for commuters. Both the MTA and the LIRR unions need to put the interests of New Yorkers first by returning to the table today and working continuously to avoid a strike.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cuomo downplayed the effects of a walkout.
“We’ve had strikes before, right? And we’ve survived. And we’ve had disasters and we know what that’s like. Hurricane Sandy was a disaster, we’ve gone through other disasters. This is not a disaster. A real pain, maybe. But not a disaster,” Cuomo said.
Meantime, the MTA has begun running radio and newspapers ads blasting unions for not agreeing to its deal.
The radio ad points out that Long Island Rail Road workers are the best paid in the nation, and that the MTA has offered 17 percent wage hikes in exchange for more health care and pension contributions from future workers.
The newspaper ad repeats much of what’s in the radio ad, and says a strike would cause major disruptions to families and businesses across Long Island.
The union says the MTA is trying to provoke a strike and claim the agency has not made a counteroffer to its last proposal.
The union is also handing out flyers to riders saying, “We deeply regret that MTA’s irresponsible actions actions will cause a strike beginning this weekend. The unions representing Long Island workers have done all in our power to reach a reasonable settlement in four years of bargaining.”
Railroad workers could walk off the job as early as 12:01 a.m. Sunday.
The MTA says service would continue as normal until Saturday afternoon, when some modifications would be made to prepare for a midnight shutdown.
Despite the renewed talks, Long Island Rail Road commuters are bracing for the worst, and many fear the MTA’s contingency plans just won’t be enough.
“I count on the LIRR to bring me to work every day. I don’t have any idea what I’m gonna do. I’ve been talking to my coworkers back and forth to see if we can carpool, but traffic is gonna be crazy,” said one LIRR commuter.
“It’s gonna be a lot of chaos. At this point, we don’t know where the shuttle buses are gonna be, the designated that they’re saying, where can I park my car. So there’s gonna be some issues,” said another LIRR commuter.
On the flip side, thousands of city residents who make the reverse commute out to the Island are being left to fend for themselves. So far, the MTA’s contingency plan focuses on those who head in and out of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens during the morning and evening rush.
“We ain’t seen no plans right now it’s gonna be a little harder doing the reverse, coming is easier but going is gonna be a little harder,” said one LIRR commuter.
“It’ll probably take about two and a half, three hours and that would just kill my productivity so it really is best for me to just stay at home,” noted another LIRR commuter.
While riders will still be able to catch a subway train, the shuttle bus and ferry service set up as part of the contingency plan will only operate during peak travel hours and only in the peak direction.
For specifics on contingency plans, visit mta.info.
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