Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday that work rules are no longer a major sticking point in the ongoing contract negotiations between the Long Island Rail Road unions and the MTA.
Hochul said she instructed the MTA to bargain in good faith and confirmed she has been in indirect communication with union leaders, though she declined to detail those conversations.
“There is a path forward,” Hochul said, adding that any agreement must “make sense for taxpayers and commuters,” and should not lead to higher fares or taxes.
The MTA had previously pushed for concessions on several work rules, including one that grants engineers double pay if they operate two different types of trains during the same shift. Hochul’s comments suggest those proposals have been pulled back as both sides try to narrow the dispute to wages.
MTA officials warned this week that meeting the unions’ wage demands could force the agency to consider an 8 percent fare hike next year, double the 4 percent increase currently planned.
On the ground, union members spent the day preparing picket signs as they brace for a potential walkout if no agreement is reached by Saturday.
“It’s very unfortunate that we’re in this position,” said Duane O’Connor, of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. “But we’re prepared, because come Saturday, if we don’t have an agreement, unfortunately we’re going to have to walk off the job.”
Workers say they are fighting for fair wages after going three years without a raise.
