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Vol. 28 No. 38
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SEPTEMBER 18 - 24, 2025
LIRR strike on hold…for now Unions seek federal mediation with MTA The MTA quickly responded to the unions’ decision. “After months of radio A potential Long Island Rail silence, these outlier unions Road strike that was looming have finally admitted that they on Sept. 18 has been paused for weren’t serious about negotiatnow after the five unions ing,” said John J. McCarthy, the threatening to halt service MTA chief of policy and exterannounced they are requesting nal relations, in a statement. “They never had a intervention from plan to resolve this the Presidential at the bargaining Emergency Board. table. The move means “If these unions negotiations will wanted to put ridcontinue under feders first, they would eral mediation, either settle or postponing any agree to binding immediate threat of arbitration,” he a strike. continued. “And if The development they don’t want to comes amid mountstrike, they should ing tension between say so -- and finally the Metropolitan show up to the Transportation negotiating table. Authority and the This cynical delay five remaining unions that have yet JoHN J. MCCARTHy, serves no one.” During a Sept. 11 to reach a contract MTA chief of policy news conference at agreement with the and external relations Penn Station, MTA railroad. These President Rob Free unions represent more than half of the LIRR’s said negotiations broke down after the National Mediation workforce. More than 270,000 daily rid- Board expedited the release of ers would be affected by a walk- the unions. That opened the out. While the latest action door to a strike that could have delays that possibility, the dis- begun at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 18. The last LIRR strike putes over wages and work rules remain unresolved, leav- occurred in 1994. “We have attempted to negoing the long-term outlook uncertain. ContInuEd on pAgE 14
By BRIAN KACHARABA
bkacharaba@liherald.com
A
Courtesy Michelle Milgrim
Saw Mill Elementary School fourth grader Lucy Milgrim, 9, is in the running for the Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year award.
Wrestling, weightlifting, winning Saw Mill Elementary fourth grader in S.I. title hunt By ISABEllA PlANTE Intern
At just nine years old, Lucy Milgrim is already making a name for herself on a national stage. The Saw Mill Elementary School fourth grader and Bellmore resident advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sports Illustrated Youth Athlete of the Year competition by proving herself repeatedly with championships and titles across wrestling and weightlifting. At press time, Milgrim was in fifth place in her group and needs to finish first to move on to the semifinals. The winner will
be featured in a 3BRAND ad in “Sports Illustrated” and earn $25,000. The voting ends on Sept. 18 at 10 p.m. Multiple votes can be purchased, and all of the proceeds will be donated to the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Milgrim started her wrestling journey at six years old. Her father, Brett, has been coaching wrestling since 2005 and helped his daughter find a passion for athletics by allowing her to watch his practices while absorbing the sport. According to her parents, she was always climbing, swinging, and jumping in ways other kids her age were not — including her siblings — which made it clear she had natuContInuEd on pAgE 13
fter months of radio silence, these outlier unions have finally admitted that they weren’t serious about negotiating.