Hundreds of Montreal school bus drivers on strike Tuesday

Around 340 Montreal school bus drivers are on strike Tuesday, affecting the commute of some 15,000 students.

The drivers staged an early morning demonstration outside the Transco headquarters on Henri-Bourassa East.

“It’s really bad for us,” said Brenda Frank, a bus driver and Transco union spokesperson. “We have no insurance, no plan, no nothing. So at least if we could get a good pay increase that would maybe help.

“We want to be recognized for the work that we do and the responsibilities that we have.”

Transco’s union members voted at 99 per cent to launch an indefinite general strike on Oct. 18 amid negotiations for a higher salary.

“As long as we don’t get close to what we want… we’re not going to back down, for sure,” said Frank.

The strike affects the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) and the Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service centre.

“I’m supposed to be already at work,” parent Olive Oczon told CityNews. “We start work at 8 o’clock in the morning, so it’s affected a little bit.

“If it keeps going, it’s affecting the parents that work together. Both parents are working.”

For the EMSB about 10,000 students are affected. For the LBPSB, Transco is one of eight of their bus carriers. The strike affects just over 4,600 students.

“I had to wake up a little bit earlier and get them ready, get in the car,” said Eli MacDonald, the parent of a Grade 5 and Grade 3 student. “We did a carpool… we took two other kids with us and brought them with us this morning.

“I just hope that they can work it out soon, so parents can get back to their routine and kids as well.”

Other parents were left scrambling to adjust their schedules.

“After school she gets dropped off with the bus as well,” said Sabrina Tirelli, the mother of a kindergarten student. “So that’s hard because if I’m having a meeting online or working from home, I just run downstairs and get her but now a little more commute.

“I hope they resolve their issues honestly. But I’m a nurse and a teacher, we’re all in the same boat, we’re all going on strike.”

Parent Frank Mezzanotte was hoping the strike would be short-lived.

“We knew it was coming,” he said. “We thought it was just for today, but unfortunately it’s going to continue.

“After school is going to be a problem. It messes up the routine; they need to stay in daycare, it cuts into study time.”

Brenda Frank was apologetic for the disruptions, but hoped parents would be sympathetic to the bus drivers’ situation.

“We’re really sorry but I think a lot of parents understand that we’re underpaid,” said the Transco union spokesperson.

The strike does not affect off-island school board Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board.

Teachers have been asked not to hold exams, tests, or evaluations on Tuesday, to not penalize the students who may be absent.

On Tuesday, the union said the strike would last as long as an agreement is reached with the employer.