Unions that paralyzed New York commute over pay spent millions on luxury travel, filings show

This post was originally published on this site.

NY gubernatorial candidate calls out Hochul over LIRR strike fallout

New York gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman criticizes Gov.Kathy Hochul’s handling of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike, accusing her of poor leadership.Blakeman points to the state’s financial woes and the potential $60 million daily cost of the strike, impacting hundreds of thousands of daily commuters.

Five unions involved in theLong IslandRail Road strike earlier this week reported more than $3.

TheBrotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Transportation Communications Union collectively spent upwards of $3.

Unions typically cut checks for high-end hotels to cover the costs of holding events, such as trainings or conferences.They also use luxury venues for lodging and work meals when traveling the country on union-related business.

The disclosures offer a window into how the unions spent money on travel, conferences and event venues during the same year they argued workers were being squeezed by rising costs.The strike disrupted hundreds of thousands of daily riders and cost the region an estimated $61 million per day.

NY GOVERNOR BLAMED FOR ‘LACK OF LEADERSHIP’ AS RAILROAD STRIKE DISRUPTS MORE THAN 300,000 COMMUTERS

A conductor stands in a train of the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), the nation’s largest commuter train system, ahead of a strike by railroad workers in Penn Station, New York City, May 15, 2026.(Reuters/David Dee Delgado)

LM-2 forms are annual financial disclosure reports that labor unions file with the Department of Labor, detailing receipts, disbursements, officer payments and other spending.

The reported payments includedLas Vegascasino hotels, upscale restaurants, beachfront resorts and golf-related venues.

Union-backed rail workers went on strike on May 16, arguing that their wage growth had not kept pace with the rising cost of living, effectively shutting down the largest commuter rail line in the country.Unions have since reached an agreement with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which owns the LIRR, though the details have not been made public.

PAYROLL DATA EXPOSES SIX-FIGURE SALARIES BEHIND TRANSIT STRIKE GRINDING NYC TRAVEL TO A HALT

Long Island Rail Road workers walking on picket line outside Penn Station in New York

Long Island Rail Road workers walk the picket line outside Penn Station in New York on the third day of their strike, Monday, May 18, 2026.(Heather Khalifa/AP)

Discussions between unions and the MTA had been ongoingsince 2023.While negotiating with the MTA on the grounds that theirworkers were being underpaid, the unions reported large payments to hotels, resorts, casinos and restaurants.

BLET and IAM collectively spent about half a million dollars at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2025, according to disclosures.The spending covered lodging and event expenses.TCU, meanwhile, spent $856,403 at Caesar’s Hotel in Reno, Nevada, which also offers gambling.These payments covered expenses related to hosting events at the venues.

LAS VEGAS VISITORS SHOCKED AT ‘CRAZY’ COSTS, FROM $14 COFFEES TO $95 ATM FEES

Long Island Rail Road employee Sujit Saha helping a passenger at Penn Station in New York

Long Island Rail Road employee Sujit Saha helps a passenger find her train at Penn Station in New York on May 19, 2026.(Richard Drew/AP)

Caesars Palace is one of the most iconic hotels and casinos in Las Vegas.

Its in-house casino boasts 185 table games, over 1,300 slot machines andsports betting.Guests at the palace have access to poolside bars, spa service, a private hair salon, a limo service, a nightclub, an in-room massage service and a sauna.

While in Las Vegas, the unions ran up large tabs at upscale restaurants.

Members of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen holding posters during strike outside NJ Transit headquarters in Newark

Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen held posters during a strike outside NJ Transit’s headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, on May 16, 2025.About 450 union members walked off the job after pay talks with NJ Transit broke down, disrupting travel for roughly 350,000 commuters in New Jersey and New York City.(Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

RESTAURANT SURCHARGE STIRS UP CONTROVERSY: ‘BUSINESS OWNER SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED’

The IAM, for instance, spent $6,806 at the Strip House, where the cheapest steak on the menu, an 8-ounce filet, costs $67 and the most expensive, a porterhouse, runs $155.

The TCU, meanwhile, spent over $20,000 at Peter Luger Steak House, where steaks range in price from $90 to $320, andfamously claimsto have around $1 million worth of dry-aged prime beef on hand at all times.

Waterfront resorts also appeared in the disclosures in 2025.

BLET spent $107,375 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the IBEW paid about $130,000 to TradeWinds Island Resort inFlorida, plus an additional $130,000 for expenses at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, a popular vacation destination.

Other major labor organizations have reported similar payments to hotels, resorts, restaurants and event venues in federal labor disclosures.Major labor organizations such as the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the Service Employees International Union have all reported similar expenses.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

“To every LIRR passenger whose trip is disrupted, know that the MTA left us no choice but to strike,” Gil Lang, general chairman of the BLET’s LIRR General Committee, said of the strike.“We don’t want to be on the picket line.But after three years without raises, we cannot make any more compromises to cover for the MTA’s mismanagement.”

The LIRR strike, which began on May 16 and concluded at noon on Tuesday, was expected tocost the New York regionan estimated $61 million per day and disrupted travel plans for about 270,000 people each day it went on.Scores of New Yorkers told media outlets that they had to wake up in the early hours of the morning and embark on hours-long commutes just to make it into work without train service.

While an agreement has been reached to end the strike involving the five unions, details of the underlying deal have not been publicly released as labor representatives still need to formally approve the contract.