(The following editorial appeared on the Newsday website on January 14.)
NEW YORK — A national strike by Amtrak unions later this month would disrupt passenger rail traffic throughout the Northeast, but there’s one group of commuters it would hurt the most: us.
The Long Island Rail Road and New York City Transit Authority are well along in their preparations for the strike, but Long Island’s congressional delegation can’t be asleep at the switch. Now’s the time to be working, because it’s unlikely this labor dispute will get resolved without action from Congress.
More than 100,000 riders who use the LIRR daily would be shut out of Pennsylvania Station because Amtrak owns the tracks into the Manhattan terminal. In labor negotiations 10 years ago, such chaos was avoided when Amtrak and unions agreed to allow the LIRR into the station. Such a free pass is not expected when the strike deadline rolls around on Jan. 30.
The LIRR and New York City Transit are wisely developing contingency plans to control the chaos each morning and evening, as large crowds will be required to use Jamaica and other Brooklyn and Queens stations to connect with subway lines into Manhattan.
Labor negotiations resume this week. But the nine rail unions, which have been working without a contract for eight years, have understandably hardened their position about retroactive pay after an emergency board appointed by President George W. Bush supported their back-pay demand. Amtrak, however, takes the position that it won’t settle until Congress increases its federal subsidy.
If Congress doesn’t provide the funds and the unions strike, the transit disruption will pull Congress in anyway, because it has the power to impose a settlement or force both sides into binding arbitration. Why put the LIRR and their riders through hell? It would be a smart move for the local delegation to get on this train before it leaves the station.