Metro

Congress urges MTA to try to avoid impending LIRR strike

Members of Congress sent a letter to the MTA Wednesday, urging the agency to call another presidential emergency board to deal with an impending LIRR strike, or to follow the first board’s suggestions.

“Any disruption in LIRR severe would severely impact many of our constituents,” said the letter to MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast, from 12 reps, including Peter King, Steve Israel, and Grace Meng.

The letter also said that the strike would force riders to use other forms of transportation that are “time consuming, inconvenient, and costly.”

Workers in the Sheet Metal, Air and Transportation Union voted earlier this month to strike in March if the MTA doesn’t adopt the recommendations from an emergency board of negotiators appointed by President Obama.

Among other things, the panel called for pay raises.

It did not suggest work-rule changes.

“The Unions do not want to strike, but it looks like the MTA does,” said Anthony Simon, head of the SMART union, and urged the MTA to adopt the negotiators’ recommendations.

MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said the findings of the presidential board “ignored the sacrifices MTA customers and taxpayers make in financing railroad operations, the critical need for capital maintenance, and the stark realities of MTA finances.”

He also said the MTA is hopeful they reach an agreement with workers.

On Friday, unions representing LIRR workers, as well as federal and local officials, will gather at the Transport Workers Union Local 100 to discuss strategies to avert the March strike.