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

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

Unions spent workers' dues at Caesars Palace, beachfront resorts and steakhouses while arguing members couldn't afford bills

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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 the Long Island Rail Road strike earlier this week reported more than $3.2 million in 2025 spending on hotels, resorts, restaurants and event venues, according to Labor Department disclosures reviewed by Fox News Digital.

The Brotherhood 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 $3.2 million on premium accommodations in 2025, according to union disclosures reviewed by Fox News Digital.

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.

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A conductor stands in a train of the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), the nations largest commuter train system, ahead of a possible strike by railroad workers in Penn Station, New York City, U.S., 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. Fox News Digital reviewed 2025 LM-2 forms filed with the Labor Department by the five unions involved in the LIRR strike, identifying payments to hotels that market themselves as premium, resorts, casinos and restaurants where menu prices sit above typical casual dining costs.

The reported payments included Las Vegas casino 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.

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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 ongoing since 2023. While negotiating with the MTA on the grounds that their workers 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 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 and sports betting. Guests at the palace have access to poolside bars, on-site 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 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)

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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, and famously claims to 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 in Florida, 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.

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"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 to cost the New York region an 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.

The five unions involved in the strike did not respond when reached for comment by Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

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