Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Addresses State Preparedness Amid Possible Long Island Rail Road Strike

Governor Kathy Hochul today delivered remarks regarding the possible Long Island Rail Road strike as a result of ongoing contract negotiations. At the Governor's direction, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is prepared to provide shuttle buses for essential workers throughout the region, and Long Island employers and employees are encouraged to work remotely.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor's Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

In just three days, the Long Island Rail Road may be shut down by a strike. Nobody wins in a strike. Everyone will be hurt - the riders who rely on the Long Island Rail Road and the thousands of workers who will lose wages. The Long Island Rail Road is the lifeblood of this island. Nearly 300,000 riders take it every single day, and we know that a strike would have significant impacts on the entirety of Long Island.

Now, we should not be here today. This potential strike was needlessly accelerated by reckless, unprecedented action from the Trump administration. Don't forget that. They thwarted the mediation process, which is what the normal course of business would have been and, perhaps, brought us to a better place by now. But, be it as it may, I must be prepared to respond.

And when I became Governor, this railroad was struggling. Ridership post-pandemic was down and there were calls to right-size the service, which means cut service. I took a different approach. While our revenues were down, I knew we had to create a better customer experience to get more people to come back on and feel comfortable riding the railroad again into work or their everyday business.

So instead of right-sizing service, I invested in the Long Island Rail Road. While other systems have cut service, we have increased service by 40 percent. We finished the third track, finally opened Grand Central Madison, and customer satisfaction and safety has surged because of our investments.

Now, of course, no one wants a strike. I don't want a strike. That's why I've told the team at the MTA to bargain, and that's exactly what they're doing. But I'll tell you this: I continue to worry about affordability for Long Islanders. I'm not willing to ask Long Islanders to pay unnecessary fare hikes or higher taxes. I worked hard to put the MTA on stable footing and I will not risk that stability.

So we have to be ready for whatever happens, and we are. The MTA has put forth a plan for shuttle buses that can be used by essential workers, and I want to be clear that these buses will not be able to replace full Long Island Rail Road service. That's why the MTA has encouraged employers and employees on Long Island to plan for work from home early next week if a strike occurs. The MTA and my office are in regular contact with local elected officials, and we will be ready.

There is only one way for this strike to be avoided. Both sides must continue to negotiate in good faith toward a deal at the table. Now, I've directed the MTA to do just that, negotiate in good faith, and they are. They have been. But they need a partner. Now I understand the MTA has put different proposals on the table without much response to them thus far. So in order to get a settlement, the unions need to start working to find a compromise.

Yes, workers deserve to be paid fairly for their work, but at the same time, we must be responsible with public funds and the fares paid by Long Island residents. I believe that a deal can be reached here, and I'll continue to urge both sides to work together to avoid a strike.