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Trump names board to mediate New York rail dispute

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive directive to create an emergency board that will conduct mediation in order to prevent a strike at the Long Island Rail Road. The rail road serves more than 300,000 passengers each day.

Five unions claimed to have asked Trump for intervention on Monday. The unions threatened to strike the New York commuter railroad this week.

A spokesperson for the White House said that Trump had acted on the unions' requests "to bring both parties back to the negotiation table and prevent an strike which could have crippled New York City and disrupted upcoming Ryder Cup in Long Island."

The union leaders stated that the White House Board would be appointed and a 120-day period would begin during which it would make its recommendation. During this time, no work stoppages could take place. The White House can name a second panel with a cooling off period up to May 2026 if no agreement is reached.

The White House stated that the National Mediation Board, which consists of two Democrats and one Republican, voted in August to release MTA and LIRR workers unions from negotiation. This opened the door for a possible strike.

This action does not mean that a strike will never happen. Gil Lang, the general chairman of BLET's LIRR Engineers, said that it is unlikely to happen in the near future.

The LIRR is the largest commuter rail system in the U.S.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) criticized unions on Monday.

If these unions really wanted to protect riders, they would settle or agree to binding arbitral... This cynical delaying serves no one."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul says both sides need to resume talks.

She said, "There's a fair deal on the table and I have instructed the MTA that they are ready to negotiate anywhere, anytime." Both sides must continue to negotiate and work around the clock until it is resolved. (Reporting and editing by David Shepardson)

(source: Reuters)