MTA rejects proposed series of raises for LIRR workers, maintaining possibility of a summer strike

The Long Island Railroad rolled closer to a possible summer strike Wednesday when transit executives rejected a proposed series of raises for workers. MTA Labor Relations Director Anita Miller notified the National Mediation Board that the authority would not enact a contract settlement for the commuter railroad that was crafted by an independent panel. The move prompted an angry response from a top union leader representing LIRR workers, who have labored without a contract since 2010. “If a strike occurs, it’s the sole responsibility of the MTA for being unwilling to accept the results,” said Anthony Simon, general chairman of the United Transportation Union. “It’s not a matter of them being unable to pay. It’s a matter of them not wanting to pay.”

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