(NEW YORK CITY) – Teamsters with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) and their Union Coalition have reached a tentative contract agreement with the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) to end the Carrier’s first Strike in more than three decades.

The LIRR is the busiest Commuter Railroad in America, with 300,000 daily passengers.

The Teamsters represent over 500 of the LIRR’s Locomotive Engineers.

The agreement provides Workers with raises that maintain their standard of living while strengthening work rules and improving benefits, Union Officials said.

The Coalition spent years bargaining with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for a new agreement.

The process included two Presidential Emergency Boards that ruled in favor of the Unions.

In that time, Workers went without raises as inflation ate away their standard of living.

The thousands of Workers from five Unions were forced to Strike by the MTA’s refusal to offer them a fair contract.

BLET Teamsters and their Coalition partners set up picket lines at major LIRR hubs immediately after midnight on Saturday, May 16th.

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said: “BLET Teamsters and their Brothers and Sisters across four other Unions just showed this entire country what ‘Worker Solidarity looks like in action.’ These Union Railroaders made it clear from the start they would not accept a deal that shortchanged them and undercut their standard of living. For three long days they bravely withheld their labor on picket lines across the New York Metropolitan Area. Every Worker in America is reminded of what can be achieved through courage and conviction to fight for a better way of life.”

The Teamsters represents 1.3 million Members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: BLET Teamsters & Union Coalition Win Historic Strike at LIRR - International Brotherhood of Teamsters