With the arrival of cooler temperatures, Montreal residents are preparing for more than just the change in weather. A nearly month-long public transit strike is set to take place in November, disrupting bus and metro services across the city.
Beginning on November 1, there will be a complete suspension of bus and metro service. Following this, from November 2 onwards, limited service will be available during rush hours and late at night.
The strike, scheduled from November 1 to November 28, involves maintenance workers of the STM, the city’s transit authority, after failed mediation with management. This marks the third and most extensive strike by the maintenance workers, who are pushing for wage hikes and an end to subcontracting within the agency.
In a rare move, the union representing 4,500 bus drivers and metro operators has also voted to strike on November 1, 15, and 16, for the first time in almost four decades.
While the labor tribunal has approved a schedule of limited service to ensure public safety, it rejected the STM’s request for full service on election day, citing the proximity of polling stations to residents for walking.
Despite efforts to increase service during the strike period, discussions between the STM and the union have so far been unsuccessful, as confirmed by STM’s director general, Marie-Claude Léonard.
The union, CUPE 1983, expressed satisfaction with the tribunal’s decision, emphasizing the importance of the constitutional right to strike in negotiation processes.
During the strike, metro services will run on a restricted schedule, with no service on November 1 after the last metro on October 31. Bus services will also operate under restricted hours, with no service after 1:15 a.m. on November 1.
STM advises checking their website for real-time updates on service availability, including information on school bus services affected by the strike. Paratransit services will continue to operate without disruption.
