The Administrative Labour Tribunal has approved essential services to be maintained during the upcoming professional strike at Société de transport de Montréal (STM) starting Tuesday night.
Scheduled from Dec. 17 at 12:01 a.m. to Jan. 11 at 11:59 p.m., the strike led by the union, comprising 770 members, coincides with an ongoing overtime strike by 2,400 maintenance employees at STM.
This will mark the first strike in the union’s 31-year history. Union vice president Benoît Tessier hinted at a possible escalation in January if the current strike doesn’t produce the desired outcomes.
Representing engineers, analysts, architects, and consultants in various fields like IT, planning, and finance, the local chapter of the Syndicat des employé(e)s professionnel(le)s et de bureau (SEPB) is affiliated with the FTQ.
The agreement on essential services aims to ensure no disruption in service delivery for STM users, as confirmed by the union’s announcement. The Tribunal’s ruling deems the agreed essential services adequate to safeguard public health and safety.
The decision dictates that the professionals will maintain their regular 36-hour workweek with no overtime, except in emergencies involving public health or safety, critical system failures, or infrastructure breakdowns requiring immediate attention.
Additionally, before requesting an employee, STM must first explore the possibility of a qualified manager addressing the issue. If necessary, the union will promptly provide the required personnel for the task.
Notably, two STM unions — representing bus drivers, metro operators, and administrative/technical employees — have finalized agreements that have been ratified by their members.
