Montreal’s metro and buses will only run during rush hour for nearly a month as of Sunday, and service won’t be offered at all on Saturday if a deal isn’t reached between unions and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
On Friday morning, Marie-Claude Léonard, head of the STM, said the transit agency has found ways to improve its offer to prevent the strike from lasting all 28 days the maintenance workers’ union agreed on.
Some 2,400 employees adopted a strike mandate from Nov. 2 to Nov. 28, during which service will only be offered during rush hour: from 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. for buses, then from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.
The metro will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., then from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. and from 11:00 p.m. until closing time.
Bus service will end at 1:15 a.m. on the night of Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.
Quebec’s Labour Tribunal ruled that paratransit must be maintained at all times.
“We know that this is exceptionally disruptive for our riders,” said STM director of public affairs Katherine Roux Groleau.
Negotiations ongoing
Groleau said the STM tried to negotiate with the maintenance workers’ union to increase the level of essential service, but the final call comes from the Quebec Administrative Labour Tribunal, which decides what is necessary to preserve public health and safety.
She said at a news conference that the maturity of the STM’s collective agreements makes negotiations complex and “adds on additional costs and rigidity.”
“Our employees work hard and they deserve competitive work conditions, which they do,” she said. “Our key demands focus on efficiency of operations and responsible use of public funds.”
The union wants better wages and an end to the use of subcontractors and has said the STM won’t budge.
Four mediators are at the negotiation table with the STM and the maintenance workers’ union, which Groleau says is unprecedented.
But the STM and the union seem at an impasse, with both parties pointing the finger at the other. The STM said the union’s proposal would not meet operational needs while the union says the STM is inflexible.
Groleau said the STM is considering requesting the appointment of an arbitrator to settle the dispute.
The STM is also in a “negotiation blitz” with its bus and metro drivers, who will walk off the job entirely on Saturday.
Groleau said a mediator is being appointed and both parties have already agreed on some concessions. The STM said it found ways to generate savings to self-finance wage increases.
Two more walkouts are planned later in November if a deal isn’t reached.
The STM is also in mediation with administrative and professional staff union, which also threatened a strike.
No Uber fare surge
Groleau urges riders to plan their trips meticulously using its website or consider alternative modes of transportation if possible.
Many Montrealers are scratching their heads on how to get around, especially if they have to rely on pricey taxis and Ubers.
In an email, Uber said it recommends clients share rides to free up drivers and promised to restrict price surging for the duration of the strike.
Buses pulled off the road
On top of the imminent strikes, the STM is temporarily pulling 181 of its 220 articulated buses off the road due to potential motor issues.
The agency says the move is preventative after noticing failures in the motors’ cooling system.
In a news release, the STM’s Nathalie Clément said “the safety of our clients is at the heart of our decision” and the agency will do everything it can to limit the impact on services.
However, riders may be tightly packed, and some routes might be cancelled altogether.
Replacement parts should come in over the next few days, the STM said.
