Restructuring antiquated LIRR union work rules will be a key focus of the state in contract negotiations as it moves toward a Washington, D.C., showdown with labor leaders next month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday.

Responding to a Newsday story that found union work rules to have been a contributing factor to some Long Island Rail Road employees making more than $240,000 in overtime in 2023, Hochul said Tuesday that the LIRR contract provisions — some of which date back to the 1800s — "play an important role" in driving up costs at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and "need to be restructured."

"Work rules that have been put in place for a long time need to be reexamined in light of ... our economic circumstances," Hochul said at a Grand Central Terminal news conference abou

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