STM maintenance workers begin 9-day strike, reducing services for Montreal public transit users
Posted June 9, 2025 7:47 am.
Last Updated June 9, 2025 6:28 pm.
The approximately 2,400 maintenance employees of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) began their strike on Monday.
“This morning, we are launching the longest strike by STM maintenance workers in over 20 years,” said Bruno Jeannotte, president of the Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN. “We are doing this after more than a year of negotiations. We are doing this to defend our working conditions and fight against subcontracting. We are doing this because we care about public transit.
“We are well aware that the strike has an impact on users. We would have liked to have been able to avoid it, but faced with the STM’s lack of openness, the 2,400 maintenance workers are forced to use whatever means necessary to make their voices heard.”
Service disruptions are expected to last until June 17 — except during Grand Prix weekend, from June 13 to 15.
“We are stressed,” one Montreal public transit user told CityNews on Monday morning. “But the bus that comes once every half an hour was on time so I’m happy about that.”
The STM is encouraging transit users to plan accordingly.
“We are talking about two, three hours per segment,” said Isabelle-Alice Tremblay, spokesperson for the STM. “On Thursday, next Monday and next Tuesday, it will be the same regular service during rush hour and at night, like before, like end of night. And 50 per cent of the service beside the rush hour.
“During the Grand Prix Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, full service, and we will adapt the service according to the needs of the clientele.”
The Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN justifies the strike by citing the employer’s “stubbornness” in wanting to “cut the working conditions” of maintenance employees.
It states that STM “persists in maintaining its demands regarding the creation of atypical schedules and the relocation of employees throughout its facilities.”
For its part, the STM points out that its network operates 24/7, which means it needs employees on all shifts.
It adds that its financial situation requires it to be “cost-effective” and that “this must be reflected in the current collective agreement negotiations to respect the paying capacity of its financial backers.”
On social media Monday morning, Mayor Valérie Plante urged Montrealers to plan their commute and schedule “accordingly” and to “prioritize active transportation, if you can.”
The BIXI bike-sharing service has also increased its offerings for the coming days due to the strike.
#WATCH: The doors are locked - Montreal's metro is now closed until 2:45 p.m. and buses are shut down until 3 p.m. amid the STM maintenance workers' 9-day strike.
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) June 9, 2025
READ: https://t.co/ke8ywWurOG pic.twitter.com/ExjmM2njV1
The agency’s maintenance workers are demanding better working conditions, including improved work-life balance, more respectful schedules, and fair pay.
“I’m actually here because of schedule,” said Jean-Sébastien Bertrand, an STM storekeeper. “We would like to have a regular schedule.
“We still have schedules, 10 days straight, four days off. It’s really hard … with family, with friends.”
Right now, they work on 12-hour shifts, explained François Enault, the first vice-president of the CSN.
“The way the people go to work with the all work-life and balance, it was not like this 25 years ago,” he said. “It was not like this seven years ago. But right now, if we want to bring people, we have to give them not just good money, we have to give them good work condition. And the schedule is one of the good work condition.”
Full service for Grand Prix
“Considering the circumstances this week, we will offer the full service Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the Grand Prix of Montreal, namely for security and fluidity reasons,” said Tremblay. “We encourage, greatly, the customers and all the people who want to commute during this weekend to buy their ticket in advance. There’s a special 72-hour ticket Grand Prix Montreal that is available. We have all the personnel in place to direct people, inform people, because as we know there’s a lot of tourists that will be in town. And so as we are used to welcome a lot of festivals and good events in Montreal, we are ready for this Grand Prix.”
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, buses and metros will only run during morning and afternoon rush hours, as well as late evenings, but there will be no service outside those periods.
For those three days, the metro will operate between 6:30 a.m. and 9:38 a.m. This means the last metro will arrive at the last station on its line at 9:38 a.m.
The last departures are therefore earlier than 9:38 a.m. For example, from Angrignon station, the last departure to Honoré-Beaugrand is scheduled for 8:55 a.m.
The last morning departure from Côte-Vertu station to Montmorency is at 8:48 a.m.
On Thursday, regular service will operate during peak periods with an hour extended. Outside these periods, metro trains will run at half the frequency, and half of bus trips will be cancelled.
From Friday to Sunday, service will be maintained at its usual level, due to the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit.
Finally, next Monday and Tuesday, June 16-17, service will be provided at 100 per cent during peak periods and at 50 per cent outside of them, but rush hours will return to their schedule at the beginning of the strike.
Paratransit service will be maintained at all times. School bus routes will also be maintained, but no service will be provided outside of peak hours from Monday to Wednesday this week.
The offer of essential services has been approved by the Administrative Labour Tribunal.
#WATCH: “We are stressed,” said one Montreal public transit user on Monday morning as STM maintenance workers begin their nine-day strike today - limiting service.
— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) June 9, 2025
READ:https://t.co/0kLbwJQrCf pic.twitter.com/O9IwhPl7av
“For those who can, we encourage you to consider, whenever possible, using active modes of transportation (walking, cycling, etc.) or working remotely during this period,” emphasizes the STM.
No compensation is provided for users who have purchased monthly or weekly passes.
