Autobus Idéal bus drivers strike affecting Montreal students
Posted April 16, 2024 11:33 am.
Last Updated April 16, 2024 2:13 pm.
Members of the union representing employees of Autobus Idéal, Syndicat des travailleuses et travailleurs des (STTAI–CSN), are on strike starting Tuesday until April 28.
Nearly 10,000 students in the French public school sector will be affected by the strike, including those in the Centre de service scolaire de Montreal, Pointe-de-l’Île and Laval.
On March 11, the union adopted pressure tactics that could go as far as a strike – which it now has.
Jean-Michelle Szosta is one of the bus drivers on strike.
He said that the negotiations are advancing at a snail’s pace but wants the issues resolved soon.
“We’re striking to get a pay salary that is equivalent to what other transporters on the island and in the area around us have presently,” he said. “We’re asking our employer to basically respect the job that we have and to meet us where all the other companies have an equal playing field as far as basic salary.”
The STTAI-CSN has nearly 165 members who have been without a contract since June 30, 2023.
“The timeline is basically up to the employer,” concluded Szosta.
