Montreal's public transit crisis shows signs of potential resolution as the city's transit authority and union representatives report significant advances in negotiations, even as additional strike days loom on the horizon.
Breakthrough in Tense Negotiations
STM CEO Marie-Claude Léonard announced on Friday that the transit agency and the union representing bus and métro operators are moving closer to an agreement. This optimistic assessment comes nearly a week after the union staged its first walkout in 38 years, bringing Montreal's bus and métro system to a complete standstill for an entire day.
The progress announcement represents a potential turning point in the bitter labour dispute that has left thousands of Montreal commuters stranded and frustrated. Léonard revealed that the transit agency had identified paths to savings with the operators' union that could allow for increased wages, describing the developments as significant advances in the negotiations.
New Strike Days Announced
Despite the reported progress, the union has served notice of its intention to stage two additional strike days on November 15 and 16. The provincial labour tribunal has yet to rule on whether these weekend walkouts will once again bring transit service to a complete halt.
Montreal mayor-elect Soraya Martinez Ferrada had previously identified November 15 as a proposed deadline for the STM to resolve negotiations with both unions. We really have the same intention as the mayor, Léonard stated on Friday. We also want a quick resolution.
Maintenance Workers Strike Continues
Meanwhile, the separate maintenance workers' strike continues into its nearly month-long duration, shutting down transit outside of three limited service periods each day. This strike is scheduled to run until November 28.
Léonard offered less optimism regarding the maintenance workers' dispute, repeating comments from last week that arbitration may prove to be the only solution. The maintenance workers' union, negotiating through a team of four mediators, blamed the STM's rigidity for the ongoing walkout.
We're making progress on all the employer's concerns but the STM isn't moving, union president Bruno Jeannotte said in a press release issued Friday morning.
Funding Constraints Complicate Resolution
The FTQ, a federation of unions that includes the drivers' union, pointed to provincial underfunding of public transit as being in large part responsible for the ongoing labour disputes. It's deplorable that this government is uninterested in public transit, FTQ president Magali Picard stated.
STM officials maintained that budget constraints limit what the agency can offer its workers. There will be no additional money, declared Katherine Roux Groleau, the agency's public affairs director. Everybody has done their part, including the government, the City of Montreal. We at the STM have to do our part.
The transit disruptions have already had measurable impacts, with sales of monthly Montreal transit passes plummeting as the strikes continue to inconvenience riders across the city.
