New Yorkers dealt with massive travel disruptions amid a historic strike of rail workers, but it appears there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.
“It’s much more promising today than it was yesterday,” James Louis, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, told CNN about the state of the talks Monday. The BLET is one of five unions with members on strike.
The strike started on Saturday after talks to avert the walkout failed.
Talks between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the railway, and unions representing railroad workers resumed Sunday afternoon and then took a break.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber said he was cautiously optimistic following the talks.
“The talks yesterday were productive. The folks are working hard. We are headed in a positive direction, but we have to get it finished,” he told CNN affiliate WABC-7 news.
Last year, a similar strike took place in New Jersey that lasted only three days.
If a deal is reached on Monday, trains could resume operation before the Tuesday rush hour.
The workers would return to work even before a deal is ratified. But should rank-and-file members at any of the five unions vote down any deal, a strike could quickly resume.
According to the MTA’s latest service alert, the branches of the Long Island Rail Road, which carry around 250,000 customers each day across 947 trains, remain suspended.
Commuters have been advised to work from home.
The MTA will also provide shuttle buses from Long Island to the city.
“This strike hurts both the riders who rely on the LIRR and the workers who operate it,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.
“We have a plan in place to help essential workers get to the city and minimise disruptions as much as possible.”
