New York braced for railroad strike after LIRR talks break down

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

New York braced for railroad strike after LIRR talks break down

Jessica Glenza in New York
theguardian.com, Tuesday 15 July 2014 14.53 BST

About 300,000 rail commuters could be forced on to New York City's heavily trafficked roads and subways if workers follow through with a promise to shut down the busiest commuter railroad in North America next week.

Negotiations between unions representing the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) failed on Monday, with both sides citing a "gulf" between offers and counter-offers. A union spokesperson warned that LIRR delays could begin as soon as 20 July.

"A strike is very painful," said MTA chairman Thomas Prendergast. "We need a lot of people to step in and get us to a different place," he said.

"The MTA has clearly decided that provoking a strike is the course of action it intends to pursue," said Anthony Simon of the United Transportation Union. UTU represents eight unions that have worked without a contract since 2010.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/15/new-york-strike-long-island-rail-road-mta

[KamaAina]

1. "commuters could be forced on to New York City's heavily trafficked roads and subways"

What about those who, like myself, don't drive?

[TreasonousBastard]

2. Busses. Better to take the week off if you can.

[KamaAina]

3. There are very few buses from Long Island into the city.

People in Nassau County could take local buses to the subway in Queens. Suffolk, however, would be majorly screwn.

[TreasonousBastard]

4. The LIRR hires buses in Suffolk, but...

never nearly enough.

I lived in the city during the 80's strike, and in Joisey for the 90's one-- I wasn't personally hit, but the problems were horrific and everyone was affected somehow.

I'm in Suffolk now, but have no need to get into the city any time soon. If they go out, and it looks like they will, it will be a nightmare for everyone.

[Rapillion]

5. I think Simon is right

The Presidential Emergency Board already made its recommendations. The MTA rejected them. Then the MTA went to Congress and was rebuffed. Why do they expect the unions to take less?