Overview

• An executive order on Sept. 16 created a Presidential Emergency Board to investigate the LIRR–union dispute, formally delaying a walkout.
• The earliest legal strike moves to mid-January, with procedures that could extend the no‑strike period into mid-May, according to union estimates.
• A five‑union coalition representing roughly 55% of the workforce seeks about 16% in raises over four years, including a 6.5% fourth year, while the MTA is pressing a 9.5% three‑year pattern and work‑rule changes.
• Union members had overwhelmingly authorized a strike, citing years without raises and high living costs, as the MTA and Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the move as a delay and urged settlement or arbitration.
• Service continues for more than 270,000 daily riders and avoids immediate disruption to the Ryder Cup on Long Island, with the board’s recommendations to be nonbinding.