Maintenance workers at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) have initiated a second strike that began on Monday morning, causing disruptions to bus and metro services. Unlike the previous strike in June, this walkout is more intricate and long-lasting. The 2,400 maintenance workers plan to strike for 14 days, during which they will also be refusing to work overtime, leading to additional service interruptions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays outside of rush hours.
For specific details on essential service hours, commuters can visit stm.info/greve or find information at metro stations where extra staff has been deployed. The STM Executive Director, Marie-Claude Léonard, recently expressed that the wage demands put forth by the CSN union exceed the STM’s financial capacity by $300 million over five years. She emphasized that meeting these demands would force a 10% reduction in bus services.
Facing financial constraints, STM management is proposing a 12.5% wage increase for employees over the next five years. However, the union has criticized management for considering increased use of subcontractors. The STM, which caters to 1.1 million daily trips, operates a vast transportation network including 1,849 buses, 999 metro cars, 68 metro stations, and 223 bus routes.
