A potential transit strike in Montreal that would have halted bus and Metro services for the upcoming weekend has been called off following a last-minute tentative agreement reached on Friday night between the city’s public transit agency and the union representing bus drivers and Metro operators. The union, SCFP 1983, announced that they had reached an agreement in principle with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) after seven days of intense negotiations. The union president, Frédéric Therrien, stated that the goal was to secure a negotiated agreement, leaving the final decision to the members through their democratic structures.
Both the STM’s board of directors and the union members must ratify the agreement for it to take effect. Details of the tentative deal will remain undisclosed until it is officially adopted. Marie-Claude Léonard, the CEO of STM, emphasized that the agreement respects the financial framework in place and involves compromises from all parties. The resolution of this agreement avoids a disruptive strike that could have negatively impacted the public, as urged by Montreal’s new mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
Mayor Martinez Ferrada commended the intensive efforts made by the union and STM to reach a consensus, highlighting the importance of negotiated agreements. She noted her role in facilitating communication between the parties involved and setting a deadline for resolution. Martinez Ferrada emphasized the significance of unions negotiating working conditions for employees and praised the timely resolution as the “right thing to do” to prevent a second shutdown of Montreal’s Metro and bus network.
The strike was scheduled to proceed despite previous failed attempts to resolve the conflict, including a push by Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet to expedite back-to-work legislation, which faced opposition from some political parties. However, on Friday, Boulet expressed his satisfaction with the agreement reached between the STM and the union, averting the planned strike. The union, representing around 4,500 STM employees, had been engaged in ongoing discussions and remained optimistic about reaching an agreement before the weekend. The union attributed the conflict to chronic underfunding by the Legault government, highlighting that such negotiations are typically resolved without disruptions.
