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500 Union Workers To Be Put To Work Under New Deal With LIRR

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - The Long Island Rail Road has reached a deal with local unions to keep jobs on Long Island.

As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, there will be seven projects coming up over the next few years on the LIRR, including the Double Track project.

In the past, there could have been out-of-state workers coming in to work on the projects.

500 Union Workers To Be Put To Work Under New Deal With LIRR

But under the terms of the new agreement, those jobs will now go to Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties workers on Long Island.

"That's the key. It's jobs on Long Island for people who live on Long Island," LIRR President Helena Williams said. "It will help lower our costs but we wanted to provide jobs for people who live on Long Island."

Union workers stood behind Williams as she made her announcement from the Farmingdale station on Tuesday.

The deal will provide the commuter rail line with $6.5 million in savings, while producing about 500 jobs on Long Island.

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