MONTREAL — The union representing Montreal transit maintenance workers has announced plans for a strike beginning Dec. 9. Buses and the Metro rail system will continue operating, although some services could be affected as the strike goes on.
The strike, slated to run through Jan. 11, will see the maintenance workers refuse to work overtime. The CBC reports member of the union Syndicat du Transport de Montréal say transit agency Société de transport de Montréal, or STM, relies heavily on overtime, and hope the strike will put pressure on the agency to reach a new contract agreement. The union, which represents about 2,400 workers, has already struck three times this year. It previously called a strike that was intended to last most of November, but suspended it on Nov. 13 to return to the bargaining table [see “One Montreal transit strike ends …,” Trains.com, Nov. 13, 2025].
The Montreal Gazette reports STM said a prolonged lack of overtime work “could cause a shortage of vehicles and, thus, lead to the cancellation of departures or a reduction in service hours.”
Issues between the union and agency are subcontracting of work, overtime rules, and pay, the Gazette reports.
STM said it will outline service levels once a Quebec labor tribunal rules on the level of essential services that must be maintained despite the strike.
