Long Island Rail Road Workers Strike, Shutting Down New York Commuter System
The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), North America's largest commuter rail system, has been shut down due to a strike by unionized workers in the New York City area. The strike began early Saturday morning after five unions, representing about half of the LIRR workforce, walked off the job. This action follows months of unsuccessful contract negotiations, despite intervention attempts by the Trump administration. The unions were legally permitted to strike starting at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The strike is the first for the LIRR since a two-day strike in 1994 and affects approximately 250,000 daily commuters who rely on the system to travel between Long Island suburbs and New York City.