Weekend bus, metro strike called off after tentative deal reached

Montreal public transit workers reached a tentative deal to avert an STM strike on the weekend.

Bus drivers and metro operators in Montreal will no longer go on strike this weekend after a last-minute tentative deal has been reached between the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and the workers’ union.

The strike had been scheduled to begin at 4 a.m. Saturday and last until 3:59 a.m. Monday morning.

However, the Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP), which represents 4,500 drivers and operators, said an agreement in principle was reached Friday evening after seven days of “intense” negotiations.

Transit users can now expect regular bus and metro service over the weekend.

Union members will have to ratify the new employment contract, though it’s not clear when that might happen.

“Our goal was to reach a negotiated agreement, and we succeeded. Now it will be up to the members to vote through the democratic structures provided for in our bylaws and regulations,” said union president Frederic Therrien in a news release.

Montreal’s new mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who had given the two sides a Nov. 15 deadline to reach a deal, celebrated the news on social media.

“I would like to highlight the intensive negotiations carried out by the drivers’ union and the STM over the last few hours to reach an agreement. As I have always said, the best agreements are those negotiated at the table,” she wrote in a post on X.

Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet also congratulated both parties for the last-minute agreement.

“Congratulations to the bus drivers and metro operators union and to the STM for reaching a tentative agreement. This puts an end to the pressure tactics that were planned for this weekend,” he said on X.

The union has previously held a one-day strike on Oct. 31, a first for bus and metro operators in decades.

Philippe Jacques, co-executive director and spokesperson for Trajectoire Quebec, a citizen mobility association that advocates for public transit services, was also pleased at the positive news on Friday, noting it’s a big win for users.

The two-day strike “would have been a nightmare,” he said, adding that the past few weeks have been “stressful” for members of the public and businesses who say the reduction in service has been challenging.

However, he said one of the positive outcomes of the negotiation process is the discussion many were having surrounding public transit and how essential it is to the people who use it every day.

“We just need now to have … more funding for public transit," Jacques said in an interview.

“If governments say it’s so essential that they were that close to go through a special law [to end the strike], then put more money to avoid strikes and make sure it’s more efficient in the future.”

The tentative deal to continue bus and metro service comes as public transit users are getting an expanded light-rail network this weekend. The Réseau express métropolitain (REM) automated system is expanding to Deux-Montagnes, Que., on Montreal’s North Shore, with 14 new stations, three of which connect to the existing metro network.

Prime Minister Mark Carney took the first ride for the northwest branch’s inauguration on Friday. Users can ride the REM for free on the entire network on Saturday and Sunday before it opens to paying customers on Monday.

Other STM workers set to strike next week

Meanwhile, a third union representing public transit workers in Montreal will go on strike on Nov. 19.

Last week, the administrative and professional workers filed a two-day strike notice for Nov. 19 and 21. The strike for Nov. 21 was dropped.

The union represents 1,300 members STM workers.

On Friday, the Administrative Labour Tribunal approved the Nov. 19 strike and the essential services to be maintained as agreed upon by the STM and the union.

In an email to CTV News, the STM said firefighting and metro emergency services are among those that must be maintained.

It added that this strike “will have no impact on service delivery.”

“However, it is certain that some activities will be slowed down, such as customer service, for example,” the STM said.

Union president Stéphane Lamont said negotiations were stalling.

The administrative and professional workers’ union first obtained its strike mandate in May, the first in 40 years. At the heart of the dispute are the issues of subcontracting, job security and pay.

The collective agreement expired Jan. 4, 2025.

Lamont told CTV News the union is fighting to maintain its working conditions.

“The STM is hiring subcontractors to do tasks that should be done by employees,” he said. “It costs more to hire them, the work is of lesser quality and employees often have to redo the job subcontractors handled.”

Agreement far away for maintenance workers

While the maintenance workers’ union suspended what was meant to be a month-long strike, it says an agreement is far away.

• READ MORE: Why are STM workers striking for nearly a month?

The STM assured it is making good progress negotiating with the union over schedules and pay.

Meanwhile, Minister Boulet has been threatening back-to-work legislation to avoid further disruptions to public transportation — prompting backlash from union leaders.

Four unions are currently in negotiations with the STM, two of which have already gone on strike. All unions cite subcontracting as a core issue and say the STM won’t budge.

Lamont says the employer is the common denominator, adding that Quebec has been under-funding public transit.

With files from CTV News’ Matt Grillo