Union accuses STM of waging a “fear campaign” to justify arbitration

As the fourth strike by STM maintenance union members enters its second day, the union accuses the transit company of conducting a “fear campaign” targeting users, in order to justify its future request for arbitration.

During a press conference on Friday, the union president, Bruno Jeannotte, argued that the Montreal Transit Corporation was trying to spread a “wave of panic” with its statistics on the number of missing buses, as the month-long strike continues.

The day before, the STM had announced that 255 buses were expected to be missing during the week of Jan. 4, and even 265 for the week of Jan. 11, when the strike will end.

The STM also indicated that these missing buses would add to the staff shortages due to the holiday season, which would reduce bus service and affect users.

The union president argues that the STM is thus seeking to justify its potential request for arbitration from the Minister of Labour, in order to settle the matter in place of the parties.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews