Montreal residents who depend on public transportation are advised to prepare in advance for significant service disruptions as the city readies itself for an impending strike by maintenance workers at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
Starting on Sept. 22 and potentially lasting until Oct. 5, the Syndicat du transport de Montréal, the union representing the maintenance employees, will initiate a strike unless a last-minute agreement is reached. In the event of a strike, metro and bus services will be notably reduced, operating solely on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
During the restricted service days, the metro will adhere to a limited schedule, commencing operations at 6:30 a.m. and running trains within specific time frames:
Outside of these designated periods, metro stations will be closed, and train service will be suspended until the next operational window. Closure times for stations will vary.
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the metro will run normally, offering some relief to commuters. However, bus services will also follow the three-day schedule, operating at reduced levels. Paratransit services will continue without disruptions throughout the strike duration.
Passengers are advised to refer to the reduced schedule posted on the STM’s website, plan their journeys ahead of time, check for updates regularly, and allow for additional travel time.
The STM recently made a global offer covering a majority of normative clauses related to work organization in an attempt to avert the strike, but the proposal was turned down by the union.
While the STM is open to further negotiations with the union and the mediator, the union’s current wage demands, amounting to a $330 million increase over five years, are beyond the STM’s financial capacity, according to STM’s CEO, Marie-Claude Léonard.
Amidst ongoing discussions, the union is urged to propose changes to working conditions that could help mitigate the financial impact of their salary requests.
