
New York: Workers on New York's Long Island Rail Road are on strike, union officials said early Saturday, paralyzing the busiest commuter rail system in North America.
Labor unions representing about half the system's workers announced the walkout after negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ended Friday without a new contract. The five unions, which represent about half the system's 7,000 workers, including locomotive engineers, machinists and signalmen, are legally allowed to go on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.