The chairman of the Association of Commuter Rail Employees is calling on the state Health Department to make masks optional on Metro-North.

The chairman says members have had to deal with assaults and verbal altercations every day with riders, as they try to enforce what he calls an unenforceable mandate.

Metro-North's president said any assault on an employee is outrageous and unacceptable. She said Metro-North is grateful for the railroad's employees who have kept the region moving safely throughout the pandemic.

No comment has been issued from the state.