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HERALD Also serving Roosevelt
Vol. 91 No. 17
Candidates for school board
Join clean-up at the preserve
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APRIl 23 - 29, 2026
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L.I. Cares is a part of tri-state food drive effort By ANDREW FRANCIS afrancis@liherald.com
Courtesy Daniel Wolk
Feeding Our Families unites several nonprofits and communities with the mission of delivering families the basic human right of food.
Long Island Cares, a nonprofit with a major location in Freeport, is joining forces with Island Harvest, six other food banks in the tri-state area, Stop & Shop, NBC New York and Telemundo 47 for the annual Feeding Our Families food-collection drive. The one-day hunger relief campaign will take place on April 25, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at more than 170 Stop & Shop locations, where participants can donate funds, food and household items that regional food banks can distribute. Feeding Our Families was launched in 2017 with the mission of combatting hunger in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Long Island Cares has been a part of each iteration of the event and will have at least 14 volunteers helping with collections across three Long Island stores. The annual food drive was cancelled in 2019 due to a COntinued On page 3
LIRR strike over job conditions could start May 16 By BRIAN KACHARABA & ANDREW FRANCIS of the Freeport Herald
A potential Long Island Rail Road strike is looming on May 16, setting up what could be the first major work stoppage on the commuter rail system in more than three decades if no deal is reached between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and its unionized employees. At the center of the dispute are issues with pay and working conditions. Union leaders are seeking a retroactive 9.5 percent wage increase for the past three years, and an addi-
tional 5 percent raise starting this year. The MTA, meanwhile, is of fering raises but wants changes to work rules and productivity standards in return, saying it must control costs and protect the system’s long-term financial stability. Many Freeport residents and commuters expressed frustration at the possibility of a work stoppage. “What would they be striking for now?” Ann Haynes-Sanders, a local LIRR rider, said. “Prices just went up in December or January. People really need the trains to get to work and back.” “Higher wages? That’s comi-
cal,” resident Jason Mackie said. “I know people personally that make $80K a year collecting tickets.” Two Presidential Emergency Boards were convened between September 2025 and last month to help resolve the dispute between the LIRR and a coalition of five rail unions representing a majority of its workforce. Both boards sided with the unions, rejecting the MTA’s proposed work rule changes and recommending wage increases, helping to set the stage for the current standoff. The dispute involves more than 3,500 workers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomo-
tive Engineers and Trainmen; the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and T ranspor tation Workers – Transportation Division; the Transportation Communications Union/IAM; the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen; and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Michael Sullivan, general
chairman of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, said frustration is mounting among union leaders as negotiations have stalled in recent weeks, with no follow-up meetings currently scheduled. “I’m frustrated because we didn’t really speak about anything of substance, and they COntinued On page 10