Thousands of workers at New York’s Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) went on strike early on Saturday morning for the first time in more than 30 years, paralyzing North America’s largest commuter rail system. Five labor unions collectively representing about 3,500 LIRR workers among engineers, electricians, signal inspectors, machinists and ticket agents—or over half of the railroad’s workforce—announced the walkout after negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority