Another STM union set to strike

Another strike is looming at the Montreal Transit Corporation (STM), this time by a union that had not walked out until now, namely the one representing 800 professionals. This union represents professionals, such as engineers, architects, analysts, and consultants. It is a local branch of the Professional and Office Employees Union (SEPB), which is affiliated with the FTQ.

They plan to stage an “overtime strike” from Dec. 17th to Jan. 11th.

In mid-November, its members had given themselves a mandate for a 10-day strike, to be exercised at the appropriate time.

Its vice-president, Benoît Tessier, indicated at the time that it would be the union’s first strike in its 31 years of existence.

The members of this union are subject to the provisions regarding essential services. Discussions will therefore need to take place with the employer on this matter, and then the Administrative Labour Tribunal will be called upon to decide whether the list of essential services is sufficient.

STM management has indicated that “although discussions between the parties still need to take place to establish the essential services to be maintained, no impact on service delivery is expected.”

The union is not ruling out escalating its strike in January. “The overtime strike is just the first step. We will evaluate our other options in January, knowing that we have obtained a strong mandate from our members. Nothing prevents us from increasing the pressure further if STM management remains as intractable at the beginning of 2026,” said Tessier.

This union represents professionals, such as engineers, architects, analysts, and consultants. It is a local branch of the Professional and Office Employees Union (SEPB), which is affiliated with the FTQ.

Approximately 30 meetings have been held between the STM and this union. The parties have been in mediation since October.

“Negotiations are continuing in mediation. As with other union units, the STM is fully mobilized to reach an agreement in order to avoid this strike,” management said.

The union reports that the issue of “maintaining expertise in-house” and job security is crucial for it. 

“For our members, this is a fundamental breach of trust in management. The employer wants to have the option of showing the door to its professionals at will, without justification and without limits. This is unacceptable,” stated Tessier.

For its part, management indicates that “the STM wishes to review the parameters for employee relocation, including placement deadlines, to ensure that the right resources are mobilized at the right time and that internal expertise is optimized. Indeed, many projects are funded and time-limited. Job security rules must reflect this reality, so that they are realistic and viable in the current financial context.”

This strike would therefore partially coincide with the one planned by the 2,400 maintenance employees of the STM (Montreal Transit Corporation). They have planned to walk out from Dec. 11 to Jan. 11. This also represents a refusal by the members to work overtime. The Administrative Labour Tribunal is expected to issue a decision regarding essential services to be maintained in their case in the coming days.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews