The MTA and five labor groups representing workers with the Long Island Rail Road reached a deal Monday night to end a three-day strike that caused travel chaos for thousands of commuters.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the two sides reached a “fair” deal — and while she didn’t share specifics, she said the agreement would not lead to an increase in fares or taxes.
She also cautioned that rail service won’t be up and running for the Tuesday morning commute.
Striking LIRR workers picket outside Jamaica Station in Queens on May 18, 2026. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post
The closed LIRR waiting area inside Penn Station during the third day of the strike on May 18, 2026. REUTERS“Tonight, the @MTA reached a fair deal with the five LIRR unions that delivers raises for workers while protecting riders and taxpayers,” Hochul wrote in a statement.
The MTA said LIRR commuters “should continue to work from home on Tuesday if possible.”
Hochul, at a Monday evening press conference, said that she was “not at liberty to disclose the details” of the deal, pending ratification from the striking unions.
But the governor indicated the agreement required that LIRR employees be paid a “fair wage,” without elaborating.
“This tentative agreement was made possible by the unity and solidarity of all five coalition unions,” said Mark Wallace, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.
“Throughout these negotiations, our members stood together for a fair agreement that recognizes the dedication and sacrifices railroad workers make every day while keeping pace with the rising cost of living,” said Wallace.
The unions were seeking raises they claimed kept up with rising living costs and inflation, while MTA officials argued that the workers’ demands would force the agency to raise fares.
Hochul and LIRR president Rob Free refused to say where the extra funds would come from, but insisted the burden wouldn’t fall on the public.
“At a time where everything is going up, I was not going to allow taxes or fares to go up. And that’s why we stood firm for a deal that would not require any additional fare increases or tax increases,” Hochul said.
Free said the initial restoration will only include electric train service at the LIRR’s main branches in Ronkonkoma, Port Washington, Huntington, and Babylon.
He said railroad bosses will do “everything we can” to get service up and running in a timely manner.
“I’m pleased to announce that phased LIRR service will resume beginning tomorrow at noon,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday. ABC 7
Shuttle buses drop off a few LIRR riders at the 179th Street F train station in Jamaica, Queens, on the third day of the strike. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY PostHochul, though, promised that things will be stable before the New York Knicks kick off their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The short-lived strike — the first since 1994 — began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and wreaked havoc, especially on Monday morning when hundreds of thousands of commuters were forced to either find travel alternatives or work from home.
Locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and more train workers have been fighting for a new contract since 2023, and even President Trump intervened last year when the White House approved a mediation board to review the demands.
MTA chairman Janno Lieber speaks at a press conference Monday night after the three-day strike ended. ABC 7
Hochul and LIRR president Rob Free (above) refused to say where the extra funds would come from, but insisted the burden wouldn’t fall on the public. ABC 7Commuters who ventured into the Big Apple for work Monday were left frustrated and fuming over the work stoppage. Some riders estimated their travel times jumped by at least two hours.
Train workers argued they deserved every penny they were asking for, even as many salaries were in six figures.
“We’ve been without a raise for going on four years now — we’re ready to hold as long as we need to,” said locomotive engineer Steve Ammirati, who was picketing outside the Ronkonkoma train station Monday.
“The raises that were being offered weren’t actually raises when you factor in inflation,” he added.
But plenty of riders directed their ire at the union for causing the mayhem, including Bellmore resident Diane Carlucci, who was forced to catch a bus to work Monday.
“So it’s really terrible, and I’m getting palpitations thinking about doing this every day while those stubborn a–holes — who already get paid way above national average and get out-of-control overtime — stop the system and make life hell for hundreds of thousands of people,” she said.
With Post wires






