Trump Orders Second Emergency Board to Resolve Long Island Rail Road Labor Dispute

Washington, January 14, 2026 — US President Donald J. Trump has ordered the establishment of a second emergency board to investigate ongoing labor disputes between the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and several unions representing its employees, according to an executive order issued on Wednesday.
The decision follows the failure of a previously appointed emergency board to secure an agreement acceptable to all parties. That first board, established in September 2025 under Executive Order 14349, submitted its recommendations to the President but was unable to achieve consensus among the railroad company and the labor organizations involved.
The unions named in the disputes include the Transportation Communications Union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Under Section 9A of the Railway Labor Act (RLA), a party to the dispute formally requested the creation of a second emergency board, a step the President is required to take under federal law. The newly established board will come into effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 16, 2026.
The three-member board—consisting of a chair and two additional members appointed by the President—will investigate the disputes and oversee a structured settlement process. Within 30 days of the board’s formation, both the LIRR and the unions must submit their final settlement offers. The board will then have another 30 days to select what it deems the most reasonable proposal and submit its report to the President.
During the investigation period and for 60 days after the board submits its report, both parties are legally barred from altering existing working conditions unless mutually agreed, a provision designed to prevent strikes or lockouts that could disrupt rail service.
The emergency board will terminate upon submitting its final report, after which its records will be transferred to the National Mediation Board. The US Department of Transportation will cover the publication costs of the executive order.
The move underscores the federal government’s effort to maintain stability in critical transportation services while encouraging a negotiated resolution to labor conflicts affecting one of the nation’s busiest commuter rail systems.