87% of STM employees vote in favour of strike mandate

An STM bus shelter in Montreal, November 14, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

Unionized workers at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) voted Tuesday evening to give themselves a strike mandate.

According to a statement from the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), this is the first such mandate in 40 years for members of the administrative, technical, and professional staff at the local section.

The strike mandate was approved by 87 per cent of members; the voter turnout was not disclosed.

The mandate applies to approximately 1,320 STM employees.

“After a year of negotiations and 28 meetings, the employer still hasn’t tabled all of its demands. We haven’t even been able to discuss key topics like vacation, leave, parental rights, and phased retirement,” said Stéphane Lamont, president of the local union.

In its statement Tuesday evening, the union expressed outrage that “the STM’s general manager reportedly received a salary of $474,000 in 2024, a 6.5 per cent increase,” while claiming the employer’s wage offer only includes increases of 2 to 2.5 per cent per year.

In response to the announcement, the STM said it acknowledges the strike mandate voted by unionized employees.

“The STM is doing everything it can to avoid such a situation and will continue to actively participate in negotiations,” said STM public and government relations section head Justine Lord-Dufour in a statement to The Canadian Press.

“In the event of a strike, the STM will inform customers of potential impacts in advance and in real time.”She also noted that “the union’s collective agreement expired on January 4, 2025.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 13, 2025.