The concourse at North America’s busiest commuter rail hub stood nearly empty. The big departure board — normally packed with gate calls — displayed service suspended.
Outside, members of five LIRR unions were on the picket line for a third straight day. About 3,500 workers walked off the job at 12:01 Saturday morning, after contract talks with the MTA collapsed over wages and healthcare premiums. The unions want a 5% raise. The MTA is offering 3%, with room to reach four-and-a-half.
Negotiations resumed at 7:30 AM this morning. The MTA chairman says progress is being made — but there’s no deal yet. And officials warn that even when one comes, it will take a day to resume complete service.
For now, roughly 300,000 daily riders are on their own.
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