LIRR, union reach deal on workers voting during Election Day shift
The deal allows LIRR workers to vote Tuesday. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
The Long Island Rail Road and its unions have made a deal to keep employees working throughout Election Day — avoiding a prior scramble when management offered overtime to keep workers from voting during their shifts.
The amicable settlement marks a change of tone in the strained relationship between the railroad and its labor leaders. Union officials have complained, as the next contract talks loom, that the workforce has been overworked and underappreciated.
In June, the railroad appeared to be caught off guard by a new state law that grants New Yorkers three hours of paid time off to vote. A day before primary elections were held in several counties, LIRR President Phillip Eng reached out to workers offering three hours at time-and-a-half in exchange for their withdrawal of requests to take time off to vote during their regular shifts.
The arrangement led to accusations from voting rights advocates that the LIRR was incentivizing its employees not to vote. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the LIRR’s parent company — said the offer was aimed at maintaining staffing levels necessary to run regular service.
Ahead of Tuesday’s election, MTA managers met Anthony Simon — general chairman of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, the LIRR’s largest union — and reached an agreement. Railroad workers will be paid four extra hours of straight time Tuesday to vote outside their work hours — including by taking advantage of early voting opportunities.
“It was just at a point that if everybody took those three hours that they were legally required to take, it could have disrupted service. And we weren’t going to let that happen,” said Simon, who hopes the cooperation leading to the deal will carry over to future negotiations. “The unions are willing to work with them, but we’ve got to be treated fairly and respectfully … because it is us that keep the trains moving. And we’re not looking to hurt the commuters.”
In a statement, MTA spokesman Tim Minton said the authority is “very pleased that our Long Island Rail Road unions are working collaboratively to ensure full service for LIRR riders on Election Day, while taking advantage of this historic opportunity to vote before Tuesday."
The agreement at the LIRR comes as the MTA has been under intense fire from its largest union, the Transport Workers Union, for what its members say are unreasonable contract demands, including a wage freeze and higher health care contributions.
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