REM employees protest during Deux-Montagnes opening weekend
Posted November 15, 2025 11:17 am.
Last Updated November 15, 2025 6:24 pm.
Employees of the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) are holding a protest Saturday to decry unsafe working conditions and labour practices by Pulsar, the operator of the light-rail network.
The protest comes a day after REM’s Deux-Montagnes line opened in a high-profile ceremony — with Prime Minister Mark Carney, Premier François Legault and Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada in attendance.
The union representing about 40 employees who maintain the REM buildings, the Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ), said it is holding a protest to raise awareness among the public.
In a press release, the regional president of SFPQ Nicolas Leduc-Lafantaisie said the protest was intended to draw attention to Pulsar’s labour practices.
“Pulsar’s management is also making up its own health and safety rules, defying those of the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), and even going so far as to dismiss unionized workers who raise issues, replacing them with subcontractors.”
Pulsar affirms that employee health and safety “remain an absolute priority.”
“We fully comply with our regulatory obligations in terms of labor relations and health and safety, while doing everything possible to provide optimal service to the public,” said Catherine Maurice, Pulsar’s communications director, in an email sent to La Presse Canadienne.
The employees unionized about six months ago and are preparing to discuss their first collective agreement, but the union is already concerned about the upcoming negotiations.
Maurice, for her part, asserts that the company is negotiating “in good faith with all the unions” representing the various job categories.
REM is offering free rides across its network to mark the addition of the new line. The service between Deux-Montagnes station in the North Shore and Gare Central in downtown Montreal will officially begin Monday, Nov. 17.
— With files from La Presse Canadienne
