I didn't say Amtrak was a state agency, Bears. I broke them out separately.
Metra's not a state agency, either. It's a six-county agency which has both its own operations and also contracts with private sector railroads who operate services on Metra's behalf.
There are state agencies who operate their own railroads with their own employees in both AS & SC. In AS, they're not considered state employees, in SC they are.
There are also those who own the actual ROW and lease it or issue operating licenses to private operators. That's the case in MI, WI, and SD.
So... my point still stands. LIRR isn't a private sector employer. When unions negotiate with any of the above (with the exception perhaps of the ARR), they're essentially negotiating with the local government. There's shareholder accountability, and no incentive to try and keep costs in line.
Sure, there are still a few conservatives on Long Island. I lived there when Al D'Amato was still representing NY in the Senate. Most of the smart ones moved away to places with lower taxes and a better quality of life. The ones who are left own cars and can drive themselves to work, but I suspect most of them will wind up telecommuting if there's a strike.