WEBVTT - MTA Chair Janno Lieber Talks LIRR Strike

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>He has done so much for the City of New York,

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<v Speaker 2>including being actively involved in the rebuild of Lower Manhattan.

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<v Speaker 2>After September eleventh of two thousand and one, Governor Cuomo

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<v Speaker 2>the Younger had him move forward to driving so much

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<v Speaker 2>of the MTA, where he continues to provide wonderful service

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<v Speaker 2>across a huge reach. Jenna Leeber joins us this morning, Jenna,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't I'm not familiar with the r other than

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<v Speaker 2>the cannonball out demun talking back. That's the fun part

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<v Speaker 2>of it. This morning is not fun for you. What's

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<v Speaker 2>your biggest headache this morning?

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<v Speaker 3>You know what Tom service is. Actually, the system is working.

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<v Speaker 3>Most people have taken the Governor's suggestion to make it

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<v Speaker 3>a telework day. Ninety five percent in Long Islander's telework

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<v Speaker 3>during COVID, and they know how.

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<v Speaker 1>To do it.

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<v Speaker 3>The turnout at our shuttle bus locations has been pretty light,

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<v Speaker 3>so people who have to come into the city are

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<v Speaker 3>getting there, and the subway service from the Queen's Subway

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<v Speaker 3>stations where people being dropped off, has been fantastic.

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<v Speaker 1>So far, so good.

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<v Speaker 3>But it's the first day and we would like to

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<v Speaker 3>resolve this issue and restore Long Island roilroad service, which

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<v Speaker 3>carries like three hundred thousand people a day most days.

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<v Speaker 4>At this point, given what we know general, how long

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<v Speaker 4>would you expect this strike to last?

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<v Speaker 3>Listen, we made progress yesterday. The talks were productive. It

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<v Speaker 3>went on until one point thirty in the morning. We're

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<v Speaker 3>back at the table already this morning. We are hopeful

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<v Speaker 3>that we can put this to bed, but the union's

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<v Speaker 3>got to move a little bit further and make sure

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<v Speaker 3>and your listeners get it. We do not want to

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<v Speaker 3>have the outcome of this deal, which is a request

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<v Speaker 3>for better wages than the rest of the MTA workers received,

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<v Speaker 3>to result in additional fare, heights or additional taxes. That's

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<v Speaker 3>why we're pushing back a little bit on the strikers.

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<v Speaker 4>Assuming a deal gets done, what's the ramp up time

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<v Speaker 4>to get this railroad back up and running to service

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<v Speaker 4>its customers.

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<v Speaker 3>Generally speaking, it's whenever we get it done. We think

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<v Speaker 3>we get service back the next day. And that's because

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<v Speaker 3>you not only got to move people and equipment into position,

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<v Speaker 3>we have to perform a lot of federally required inspections,

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<v Speaker 3>especially of the trains, so there's some of the mechanics

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<v Speaker 3>that have to be gone through before we can put

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<v Speaker 3>those put those trains back on the rails and start

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<v Speaker 3>to take passengers where they're going.

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<v Speaker 5>How unified is your system?

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<v Speaker 2>I mean you've got three hundred thousand plus on the LR,

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<v Speaker 2>or you got Metro North, four other things.

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<v Speaker 5>General I'm not familiar with. I'm your worst nightmare, Jenne.

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<v Speaker 5>I have no life.

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<v Speaker 1>I go nowhere.

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<v Speaker 2>But I look geno at the system unified? Like does

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<v Speaker 2>a driver make the same amount on each system?

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<v Speaker 5>To the ticket people make the same amount? How unified

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<v Speaker 5>is a system?

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<v Speaker 3>Oh, in the sense of you're right that there are

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<v Speaker 3>different unions. Have tom we have eighty separate bargaining units.

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<v Speaker 3>We have eighty separate unions in effect to negotiate with.

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<v Speaker 3>It is really a complicated labor environment, and there are

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<v Speaker 3>differences among them. But generally speaking, we do what we

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<v Speaker 3>call pattern bargaining. We make a deal with the biggest union,

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<v Speaker 3>and then the others have to fit their deals within

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<v Speaker 3>the economic box that that creates.

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<v Speaker 1>This group of unions wants.

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<v Speaker 3>To go outside the box to get us a special deal,

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<v Speaker 3>and that is the source of the tension and the

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<v Speaker 3>conflicts so far. But as I said, we're trying to

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<v Speaker 3>resolve it. Chop chop right.

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<v Speaker 4>Now, Jenna, when give us a state of the negotiations

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<v Speaker 4>right now? Are talks ongoing, are they scheduled? What's the

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<v Speaker 4>story of the negotiations.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they're going on right now.

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<v Speaker 3>They resumed at seven thirty this morning, as I said,

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<v Speaker 3>folks took a break at about one thirty in the

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<v Speaker 3>morning last night. I was here with them and they're

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<v Speaker 3>back at the table right now as we're speaking. So

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<v Speaker 3>I don't have an update, but work is going on

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<v Speaker 3>right now.

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<v Speaker 4>Aside from the Federal Mediation Board that's helping in the discussions,

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<v Speaker 4>is anyone in Congress or in the executive branch helping

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<v Speaker 4>the parties reach a deal?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I mean the governor has been, you know, side

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<v Speaker 3>by side with us throughout and she has been monitoring

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<v Speaker 3>the discussions very closely.

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<v Speaker 1>I've been in touch with her team.

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<v Speaker 3>Throughout the night in fact, as well as the governor herself,

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<v Speaker 3>So she's been the major player. You know, Congress really

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<v Speaker 3>doesn't have a role here because once these unions were

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<v Speaker 3>released by so they could go on strike by Trump's

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<v Speaker 3>a national mediation board. There's really no further role for

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<v Speaker 3>the federal government.

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<v Speaker 5>Does the Long Island Railroad break even?

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<v Speaker 3>No way. In fact, the Long Island Road is the

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<v Speaker 3>most highly subsidized of our MTA operations, the subways, the

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<v Speaker 3>Metro North and the Long Island Road. So you're right, Tom,

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<v Speaker 3>Your question highlights the fact that we can't expect regional

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<v Speaker 3>taxpayers to keep pumping money for special deals into the

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<v Speaker 3>Long Island Road.

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<v Speaker 2>Everybody up to one thirty, our John Tucker wants to

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<v Speaker 2>know when will the talks restart?

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<v Speaker 5>Do you start them this morning? Do you have a

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<v Speaker 5>one day cool off?

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<v Speaker 2>Which hotel should Alexis christopherus go protest that?

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<v Speaker 1>No?

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<v Speaker 3>This is they're going on right now at the MTA headquarters,

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<v Speaker 3>a couple floors away from where I am speaking to

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<v Speaker 3>you from Jennall.

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<v Speaker 4>Can you just summarize kind of where we are right

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<v Speaker 4>now in terms what's the differential? What's is there a

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<v Speaker 4>bids spread that is on wages? What's the real stumbling

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<v Speaker 4>block right now?

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<v Speaker 1>Honestly, Paul, it's not.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know if it's productive for me to get

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<v Speaker 3>into those details because we're trying to iron something out.

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<v Speaker 3>But you know, we talked about a little bit yesterday.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's it's wages and benefits and you know,

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<v Speaker 3>basic basic stuff like that.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, I look, Jenno is we're as we're getting ready,

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<v Speaker 2>and I know you've got to get back to your

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<v Speaker 2>busy day. I'm using artificial intelligence and here google Gemini

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<v Speaker 2>General and everything I'm dealing with.

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<v Speaker 5>Here's my question to AI this morning.

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<v Speaker 2>Was the one hundred and fifty dollars fare to the

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<v Speaker 2>World Cup? Was that Geno Liber's fault? And here's the

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<v Speaker 2>answer from AI.

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<v Speaker 5>No, you can't pin this one on Channel Liber What

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<v Speaker 5>a mess?

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<v Speaker 2>General discuss just the pr madness of that fair.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, the PR is the PR.

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<v Speaker 3>But I'll tell you this, I am sympathetic to the

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<v Speaker 3>folks who run New Jersey Transit, which you know, they

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<v Speaker 3>they operate a system where they're running on Amtrak railroads

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<v Speaker 3>and Amtrak infrastructure that.

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<v Speaker 1>Has not been maintained.

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<v Speaker 3>They have a tough financial situation and they're trying to

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<v Speaker 3>make sure that they don't get killed because you know, budgetarily,

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<v Speaker 3>because there's a there's a you know, they got to

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<v Speaker 3>turn off their system to accommodate soccer fans who come

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<v Speaker 3>from other countries and are paying a thousand dollars a ticket,

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<v Speaker 3>so I have a little sympathy for the folks in

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<v Speaker 3>New Jersey transit. I think it's getting worked out over time.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's cannonball run this weekend. Come on on World

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<v Speaker 2>Day weekend, Come on General for you.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll try to make sure the cannonball runs.

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<v Speaker 2>Tom thank you, General ever, thank you, thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 2>And is incredibly busy day