What you need to know about the STM strike, and how it will affect your commute
STM maintenance staff have a mandate to go on strike starting June 9
Starting Monday, people who use Montreal's Metro and bus network could face a major scale back in service.
Maintenance staff with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) have a mandate to go on strike from June 9 at 12 a.m. to June 17 at 11:59 p.m.
If the strike moves forward, bus and Metro services will be halted or halved outside of rush hours and late-evening hours — with the exception of Grand Prix weekend. Adapted transport service will be maintained at all times.
But the looming labour stoppage has left many with plenty of questions, especially about the service disruptions.
Here's a breakdown of what to expect.
What will the schedule be?
On June 9, 10 and 11, service will only be available from 6:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m., from 2:45 p.m. to 5:48 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Note that this means the last bus or Metro will start and end their service at those times, according to the STM. That means passengers hoping to catch a bus or Metro at 9:38, for instance, will likely have missed their chance as it will be scheduled to arrive at the terminus.
On June 12, service will run from 6:30 a.m. to 10:38 a.m., from 2:45 p.m. to 6:48 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Service will be reduced to 50 per cent outside of those hours, meaning that trains will make every other run.
On June 13, 14 and 15, service will resume as usual for Grand Prix weekend due to the increase in traffic. Both the STM and the union said preserving the regular service on those days was necessary for public safety reasons.
But on June 16 and 17, service will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m., from 2:45 p.m. to 5:48 p.m. and from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Service will be reduced to 50 per cent outside of those hours.
The STM has published an explanation here with details about scheduling and answers to frequently asked questions.
What can you do?
The STM advises commuters to plan ahead, leave early and consider active transportation (walking or biking) or working remotely.
The STM's app and social media will provide live updates.
No refunds are available for already validated monthly or weekly passes, the public transit agency said. Other passes can be used at another time or refunded in accordance with Montreal region transit authority's exchange and refund policy, the STM says.
Metro stations will be closed outside of scheduled service periods, so riders cannot expect to wait indoors.
Why is there a strike?
The maintenance workers are with the Syndicat du transport de Montréal, a union that is under the massive umbrella of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) labour federation.
Its members are asking for better working conditions and for the transit authority to scale back on outsourcing.
Their collective agreement expired in January and negotiations began more than a year ago.
The STM is also negotiating with three other unions, including one that represents bus and Metro car drivers who just voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. That union has not yet decided on strike dates.
Why is it scheduled this way?
The strike is planned this way to reduce impact on public safety and major events, according to Quebec's Tribunal administratif du travail, which authorized the strike.
How does it affect students?
School shuttle services will continue, even during off-peak hours on June 9, 10, and 11.
Schools have sent out notices advising families to plan accordingly.
The English Montreal School Board, for instance, said that final exams "will proceed as scheduled, and it is essential that students arrive on time."
"If possible, we encourage families to make alternate transportation arrangements in advance to ensure their child can attend exams without added stress or delay," the release said.
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