STM workers are threatening to go on strike again & it could mess with your commute

Just when you thought Montreal transit users might catch a break, it looks like we’re heading into round five.

Société de transport de Montréal (STM) maintenance workers are gearing up for another limited strike after negotiations with management appear to have stalled completely. And it could happen as soon as next month.

Speaking with The Gazette this week, Bruno Jeannotte, president of the union representing maintenance workers, said the STM has refused to come to the negotiation table for the past two weeks. He plans to meet with the Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT) next week to request authorization for new strike action.

“There isn’t much left to settle at this point,” Jeannotte told The Gazette, adding that the main sticking points are salary and the STM’s push to subcontract certain tasks to the private sector.

Where negotiations stand

The STM and its maintenance union have been negotiating since March 2024.

In a February 12 bulletin to Syndicat du transport de Montréal members, maintenance workers were told the STM has pulled back from earlier financial discussions and is sticking to a five-year wage proposal that union leadership considers inadequate.

Beyond salary, two key issues remain unresolved: proposed changes to workplace injury benefits and the STM’s push to subcontract certain cleaning and maintenance work to the private sector.

In the same bulletin, the union accused management of trying to weaken protections in the collective agreement and of awarding outside contracts for work it says members are fully qualified to perform.

The message to workers was blunt.

“Our work is worth more. Our gains are not for sale. Our solidarity, our strength!”

Union leaders also say they’re preparing pressure tactics in the coming weeks if a deal can’t be reached.

Another strike in a long line of strikes

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is.

This would be the fifth limited strike by Montreal transit maintenance workers since June 2025. The first three strikes — in June, September, and November — cut all bus and metro service outside of morning and afternoon rush hours. Then, in December, the union refused to work overtime for a month, which affected the STM’s ability to get buses onto the road.

While overtime maintenance work resumed on January 11, no agreement has been reached with the union yet.

What happens next

Transit is considered an essential service, and any strike action must be approved by the TAT. The tribunal typically takes about seven days to issue its decisions.

If the union’s latest work action is approved, the strike would likely take place in the first week of March.

For now, riders should keep an eye on stm.info for official updates as the situation develops.