Montreal Transit Strike to Disrupt Metro and Bus Service All Month

Post by : Meena Rani

Montreal’s public transit network will be heavily disrupted for nearly the entire month of November as maintenance workers with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) plan a four-week strike beginning Friday, Oct. 31 at 10 p.m.

The Quebec labour tribunal ruled on Wednesday that both bus and Metro service will be limited to rush hours and late-night periods throughout the strike unless a last-minute deal is reached between the STM and its maintenance workers.

The Syndicat du transport de Montréal, representing 2,400 employees, has already staged two strikes this year. The latest one will be the longest yet, lasting until Nov. 28 at 10 p.m.

The STM requested that regular service be maintained on Sunday, Nov. 2, to accommodate voters during the municipal election. However, Judge François Beaubien ruled that the strike would not endanger public health or safety and would not prevent residents from voting, noting that most polling stations are within walking distance for citizens.

During the strike, bus service will operate from 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with night service from 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m. Metro trains will run from 6:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. to 5:50 p.m., with night operations between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. Paratransit services will remain fully operational.

Bruno Jeannotte, president of the maintenance workers’ union, said members are aware of the inconvenience but are committed to negotiating a fair deal. “If the STM holds its hard line and remains inflexible, it will be solely responsible for a strike that could have been avoided,” he said.

The STM, in its official statement, acknowledged the tribunal’s ruling and noted ongoing discussions.

Meanwhile, a separate strike notice from the Syndicat des chauffeurs, opérateurs et employés des services connexes (SCFP 1983) could further disrupt transit on Nov. 1, 15, and 16. The tribunal is expected to issue another ruling soon on the essential services required if that strike proceeds.

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