TheLong Island Rail Road strikesteamed full speed into a war of words as it entered its third day ahead of the Monday morning commute.

Gov. Kathy Hochul declared that if she and the MTA gave in to the demands of striking LIRR workers, ticket prices would surge. The union said she is “Full it sh*t.”

Hochul stood alongside MTA and LIRR executives inside of the subway’s Midtown command center on May 17, and while championing the service ofstriking workers, also appeared to lay the blame at their feet.

“The MTA cannot agree to a contract that would raise fares as much as 8% and risk hiking taxes for Long Islanders. I have worked too long and hard to reduce costs for our residents, and I will not allow that to be undone. As governor, my priority is to fight for affordability for all New Yorkers, and this strike puts that affordability at risk. Long Islanders deserve a break, as do all the residents who commute on our lines from Queens and elsewhere,” Hochul said. “I will not let this dispute lead to higher prices and less money in the pockets of our residents.”

Meanwhile, at Penn Station, union members picketed outside of the iconic transit hub on 34th Street, chanting “No trains today! Or tomorrow, either,” and at the Ronkonkoma train station. Union member Karl Bischoff told amNewYork exactly what he thought of the governor’s remarks earlier that morning.

“The governor’s full of sh*t. She’s got money for everything except for our salaries,” Bischoff said. “All we’re asking for is a cost-of-living increase, no more. That’s it, to keep up with the cost of living. I mean, we have free money to give to everybody across this entire state, but you have no money for the people to actually go out and work, and my paycheck that you tax in order to get that money to give to those people. So, the money that she’s distributing is actually money she took from me and my fellow members who were actually out here working.”

MTA Chair Janno Lieber also pointed the finger of blame at the unions, charging that they walked away from the bargaining table.

“It was they who elected to walk out, and we were more than willing to meet them halfway on wages. In fact, they wanted much more than halfway,” Lieber said. “They then criticized us for putting new ideas on the table. We need ideas about how to bridge the gap. We need the unions to respond to our ideas and to come up with ideas and work with us.”

Bischoff responded by calling Leiber and Hochul liars.

“These guys, they’re full of lies. They tell you the public what they think they want to hear. I’m held accountable for my actions out here on my job. I can’t say that Janno Leiber or the governor are held accountable for their actions. We are here because of the actions of Janno Lieber and the governor, who failed to even entertain the things we’re doing. They’ve been doing nothing but playing strategic little games, financial games up until this point.”

Source: LI Press