STM strike could disrupt Montreal Metro and bus service for several days

Maintenance workers with Montreal's public transit service are planning to strike this month, leading to service disruptions outside of rush hour on both the bus and Metro lines.

Quebec's labour tribunal ruled that workers with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) can go on strike from June 9 at 12 a.m. to June 17 at 11:59 p.m.

The union representing the workers, the Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN, and the STM agreed to only provide services during peak hours on June 9, 10 and 11. 

For June 16 and 17, there would be service between the peak-hour periods, but the frequency of buses and Metro cars would be reduced by 50 per cent.

The peak-hour service window will be slightly bigger on June 12 and the bus and Metro frequency would also be reduced by 50 per cent that day. 

For the Grand Prix weekend between June 13 and June 15, when the city sees a significant increase in traffic, there would be full service.

The president of the union says the exception for Grand Prix weekend is due to security reasons and not because they're trying to appease the Formula 1 clientele. 

"They sell about 100,000 tickets each day for the Grand Prix," said Bruno Jeannotte. "So, considering that we're talking about 100,000 trips between Île Sainte-Hélène and downtown Montreal, if there's an emergency on the island or whatever, we have no choice but to be ready to react."

Speaking at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Mayor Valérie Plante said she was relieved the Grand Prix weekend had been spared of service disruptions, adding that she hopes both parties in the dispute come to a solution quickly so as to not penalize commuters.

The union, which represents 2,400 maintenance workers at the STM, has been negotiating with the STM for over a year, asking for better working conditions like better schedules, and to scale back on outsourcing. 

Jeannotte says negotiations are still underway and could even continue during the strike, adding they're not aiming for an unlimited strike. 

"We're willing to negotiate certain points but not on the issue of subcontracting or privatizing the STM's public systems," he said.

Speaking alongside Plante, STM board chair Éric Alan Caldwell said the agency will hold a news conference Wednesday to address service disruptions during the strike.

"We're working to have the best agreement for our workers but also for the financial health of public transit in order to maintain demand and see it grow," he said. 

"We're dealing with a situation where we have to fit into the money that is available for transit and that's why [there's] negotiations on both parts."

On its website, where the transit plan for next week is outlined, the STM says its users should plan accordingly and encourages them to use active modes of transportation to get by or to work from home. 

The transit agency also clarified that it would not be reimbursing or offering financial compensation to monthly pass users or those with weekly passes that have already been validated. 

Over the weekend, the union representing the STM's bus drivers, Metro operators, station attendants and adapted transit drivers also voted in favour of a strike.

The union has been re-negotiating its collective agreement with the STM which expired in January and is making similar demands to the maintenance workers, as well as a salary increase.

"This negotiation is part of something bigger, which is really the public transit funding crisis," said Plante.

STM service limited to rush hour and late evenings on June 9, 10, 11, 16 and 17:

Metro:
• 6:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m.
• 2:45 p.m. to 5:48 p.m.
• 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.  

Bus:
• 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
• 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.  

Outside of the hours listed above, the bus and Metro frequency would also be reduced by 50 per cent on June 16 and 17. There would be no bus and Metro service outside of the peak hours for June 9, 10 and 11.

STM service offered on June 12, the eve of Canadian Grand Prix weekend:  

Metro:
• 6:30 a.m. to 10:38 a.m.
• 2:45 p.m. to 6:48 p.m.
• 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.  

Bus:
• 6:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
• 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.  

The bus and Metro frequency would also be reduced by 50 per cent outside of these hours.