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New York Governor Kathy Hochul has attributed the looming Long Island Rail Road strike to actions by President Donald Trump. With the potential strike set for September 18th, Hochul criticized the Trump administration for its role in ending mediation, which she believes empowered the engineers to strike. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, representing about 600 LIRR workers, is currently voting on whether to authorize the strike. They have rejected the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) offer of a 9.5% pay raise over three years, demanding a 15% increase instead.
The strike could affect nearly half of the LIRR's workforce, impacting around 200,000 daily commuters. According to ABC7NY, Hochul stated, "The president did something rather extraordinary and almost unprecedented, which was to say, 'OK, do what you want now, go ahead and strike.' That's unusual." She also criticized local Republican leaders for not doing enough to prevent the walkout.
The MTA is preparing contingency plans, including deploying shuttle buses to transport passengers from Long Island to subway stations in Queens, as reported by Yahoo News. In addition to the strike threat, LIRR commuters face a potential fare hike next year, with ticket prices possibly increasing by up to 8%.
Bloomberg notes that the last time the unions came close to striking was in 2014, when a last-minute deal by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo averted it. Governor Hochul is urging both sides to return to negotiations to avoid the strike.