Hochul Ends 3-Day LIRR Strike With Deal as Blakeman Cites $100 Million Damage

7 articles · Updated · Gothamist · May 22

Kathy Hochul announced a tentative deal that ended the Long Island Rail Road strike after three days, restoring service on a system that carries nearly 300,000 weekday riders.
Five unions had shut down the 700-mile railroad from Saturday through Monday while seeking better compensation, leveraging Long Island’s heavy dependence on rail service.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber argued the workers are already the nation’s highest-paid railroad employees, while the report notes MTA executives are also highly paid—Lieber earned $420,599 in 2024.
Bruce Blakeman, Hochul’s Republican challenger, said the governor still bore responsibility for more than $100 million in economic damage, keeping the labor dispute politically sensitive on Long Island.

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