Get the latest news on the LIRR strike Monday as more than 300,000 commuters are impacted by workers going to the picket lines.
Long Island Rail Road workers went on strike late Friday night after wage talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority collapsed.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the unions rejected the MTA’s final offer that “literally gave them everything they said they wanted in terms of pay.”
The work stoppage of North America’s largest commuter rail line – its first since 1994 – began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, after negotiations over a new contract stalled over workers’ salaries and healthcare costs. It was unclear when negotiations would resume.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the first day the strike affected the work week commuters braced for delays as they turned to shuttle buses and subways to get into work.
Follow the Post’s live updates for the latest news and impact on a quarter-million NYC commuters:
LIRR strike live updates: Rail road plans to issue refunds to monthly ticket holders due to strike
Long Island Rail Road workers went on strike late Friday after wage talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority collapsed. The strike, the first since 1994, impacts over 300,000 commuters, who faced significant delays Monday morning. Negotiations over salaries and healthcare costs have stalled.
Hundreds of picketing LIRR workers strike it rich with $100K-plus overtime hauls: ‘System is so distorted’
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) faces scrutiny as payroll records reveal numerous workers earn over $100,000 annually in overtime alone, with 11 netting over $200,000. These figures, rivaling the governor’s salary, highlight what critics call inefficient union contracts and excessive spending, sparking outrage amid a strike.
LIRR plans to issue refunds to monthly ticket holders due to strike
By
Kathleen Joyce
The LIRR announced Monday morning it planned to issue refunds to monthly ticket holders who already purchased their ticket for the month of May.
“We intend to issue prorated refunds to May monthly ticket holders for each business day that service is suspended due to the strike, pending approval from the MTA board,” the LIRR said in a statement.
Some 300,000 commuters are affected by the strike. Monday accounted for the third day of the strike — the first for the new work week. Many riders used the subway or shuttle buses to get into work Monday but the company advised many of the commuters to work from home as they tried to settle.
A LIRR train sits parked at the Port Washington station on Monday, May 18, 2026. REUTERS
Commuters ride a shuttle bus at Ronkonkoma station. Brandon Cruz/ NY Post