Second Montreal transit strike as intensive negotiation phase begins

Montreal transit maintenance workers walked off the job on Monday, in their second strike in three months.

A second strike by maintenance workers at the Montreal transit agency, the STM, is underway as a planned phase of intensive negotiations is set for this week.

The 2,400 members of the maintenance workers’ union, affiliated with the Fédération des employé(e)s des services publics (FESP), which is affiliated with the CSN, began a new strike on Monday, this time lasting 14 days. It will end on Oct. 5.

The strike means employees will refuse to work overtime during the two-week period. In addition, metro and bus services will be interrupted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with essential services maintained during the morning, late afternoon, and late evening rush hours.

The transit company’s management said it has improved communication with commuters since the first strike by the same union, from June 9 to 17, when there was some confusion.

More detailed information is available on its website at www.stm.info/greve. In addition, more staff have been made available to provide information to users in metro stations.

Negotiation ‘blitz’

During a press briefing on Monday morning, union president Bruno Jeannotte defended himself against accusations of holding public transit users hostage. He said he is fighting “for reliable public service” and to maintain expertise at the STM.

He said the parties had agreed to a five-day “negotiation blitz” this week.

He hopes this will lead to an agreement to renew the collective agreement after more than 100 negotiation meetings.

The dispute mainly concerns wages and the use of subcontractors.

Stuck in a difficult financial situation, the STM is offering 12.5 per cent over five years to all its employees.

The maintenance union is demanding 25 per cent over five years, or an average of 5 per cent per year, saying it is entitled to a wage “catch-up” since, during the previous employment contract, inflation was higher than wage increases at a certain point.

Similarly, to reduce costs and focus on its specialty—passenger transportation—the STM wants to be able to outsource certain services, such as landscaping, snow removal, and asphalting. However, clauses in the current collective agreement for maintenance employees restrict the use of subcontractors.

The union, for its part, does not want to give in on this issue. It says it wants to preserve its members’ jobs and public transit as a public service. Jeannotte also argues that outsourcing is only a short-term savings measure. According to him, private companies submit low-cost bids to win the contract and then raise their rates to generate enough profit. He fears that by using subcontractors, the STM will then divest itself of its personnel and equipment and lose expertise.

Last Friday, STM CEO Marie-Claude Léonard stated that the two parties were “very far from an agreement.” She reiterated that she needed “flexibility” from employees and union demands that respect her “unprecedented” financial situation.

The STM makes 1.1 million trips per day. It operates a fleet of 1,849 buses and 999 metro cars. Its metro network consists of 68 stations and its bus network of 223 routes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Sept. 22, 2025.