STM: Despite strike end, Boulet moving forward with Bill 14

Although the strike by maintenance workers at Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has been suspended, Labour Minister Jean Boulet still wants to bring forward the implementation of his law to limit pressure tactics, arguing that a work stoppage by bus and metro drivers is planned for the weekend. 

“We must ensure that we have the necessary tools to provide an acceptable level of service to the public,” he said in a written statement sent to The Canadian Press Wednesday morning. 

Last May, the Minister of Labour passed Bill 14, “aimed at giving greater consideration to the needs of the population in the event of a strike or lockout.” However, this law is not scheduled to come into effect until Nov. 30.

Jean Boulet has therefore tabled another bill on Wednesday to bring forward the entry into force of his Bill 14. “There are still issues which justify, once again, the entry into force, two weeks earlier, of this law,” he stated.

The Labour Minister insists that this is not a threat, but admits that his piece of legislation is putting pressure on them. 

To move forward, however, he needs the support of the three opposition parties.

However, Québec solidaire (QS) strongly opposes the minister’s approach. The Quebec Liberal Party and the Parti Québécois have both stated their openness to collaborating with the government.

In a press scrum on Tuesday, Jean Boulet explained that Bill 14 had two levers that could be used.

“There is a first mechanism that aims to ensure that the level of services to be maintained in the event of a strike respects the needs and well-being of the population. (…) The second mechanism allows the minister to refer to an arbitrator if there is serious harm to the population and the mediation is unsuccessful, and that puts an end to the labour dispute,” he explained.

The union that represents STM maintenance employees announced Tuesday evening that it was suspending the strike that was to be held until Nov. 28.

“With the early coming into force of Bill 14, the STM no longer had any incentive to negotiate with us,” said Bruno Jeannotte, president of the Syndicat du transport de Montréal–CSN, in the press release. By suspending the strike, we want to make sure that the law is not applied right now and we want to continue to act at the table and reach a negotiated agreement.”

The union stressed that the mediation meeting that took place on Tuesday did not lead to an agreement, but that it “does not remain insensitive and suspends the strike in order to continue negotiations.”

He said he had made “significant movements” in the last days of negotiations, but that “the STM remains inflexible and insensitive to the impacts of the strike on the population.”

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews