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8/19/2025
The National Mediation Board (NMB) today confirmed that it has released the MTA Long Island Rail Road and five labor unions that represent the railroad's workers from statutory mediation, an action that starts a 30-day "cooling off" period between the parties.
The five unions involved in the negotiations are the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Transportation Communications Union (TCU).
The labor unions indicated last week that the parties were unable to reach a voluntary agreement, local news media reported.
Once the cooling off period ends, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul or one of the unions involved in the dispute could request that the Trump administration form a Presidential Emergency Board to intervene and help avert a strike.