3,500 WORKERS WALK OUT AS BLET TEAMSTERS, UNION COALITION LAUNCH LIRR STRIKE

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) at the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has initiated a strike involving a coalition of 3,500 workers from five unions. This marks the first strike at the LIRR in 32 years.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien stated, "The LIRR owns this strike. Union workers have sacrificed so much for the railroad for years while consistently bargaining in good faith for a fair contract. Hundreds of thousands of commuters rely on our members' labor every day. The LIRR is stranding passengers while denying wages, benefits, and respect to BLET Teamsters and other hardworking union members." He emphasized that all 1.3 million members of the Teamsters Union support the striking workers.

The LIRR, owned and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), serves 300,000 daily passengers. Mark Wallace, President of the BLET and Teamsters Rail Conference, commented, "This strike would not have happened if the MTA and LIRR offered our members the reasonable terms the government recommended multiple times. But management refused." He expressed hope that the LIRR would address the issues to avoid further disruptions for commuters.

Currently, the Teamsters represent over 500 locomotive engineers at the LIRR, who have gone three years without raises while negotiating for a new contract. Gil Lang, General Chairman of the BLET's LIRR General Committee, stated, "To every LIRR passenger whose trip is disrupted, know that the MTA left us no choice but to strike." He added that the union does not want to be on the picket line but felt compelled to act due to the prolonged lack of raises.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, established in 1903, represents 1.3 million members across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more information, individuals are directed to visit Teamster.org and to follow the organization on social media platforms.