FILE PHOTO: MTA's Long Island Rail Road trains are parked at the Hudson Yards rail yard on Manhattan's west side in New York City, U.S., May 3, 2021. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/ File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to appoint an emergency board to conduct mediation to avert a work stoppage at the Long Island Rail Road, which serves nearly 300,000 passengers daily.

On Monday, a group of five unions said they had asked Trump to intervene. Previously, the unions had threatened to launch a strike this week at the railroad serving New York commuters.

A White House spokesperson said Trump had acted at the unions' request "to bring both sides back to the negotiating table and prevent a strike that could have crippled the New York City area and disrupted the upcoming Ryder Cup on Long Island."

Union leaders said the appointment of a White House board would trigger a 120-day period during which the board would make a recommendation, and no work stoppage could occur in that time. If no deal is reached, the White House could then name a second board with a cooling-off period until May 2026.

The White House noted the three-member National Mediation Board - with two Democrats and a Republican -- voted to release the MTA and LIRR worker unions from negotiations in August, opening the door to a potential strike.

"This action does not mean a strike won't happen. But it does mean it won't happen now," said Gil Lang, general chairman for the BLET's LIRR engineers.

The LIRR is one of the largest commuter railroads in the U.S.

On Monday, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority criticized the unions.

"If these unions wanted to put riders first, they would either settle or agree to binding arbitration... This cynical delay serves no one."

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said both sides must get back to talks.

"There is a fair offer on the table, and I have directed the MTA to be ready to negotiate anytime, anywhere," she said. "Both sides must return to negotiations and keep working around the clock until this is resolved."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by David Gregorio)