STM maintenance workers’ union ‘thinking about a strike’
Posted February 19, 2026 12:23 pm.
The union representing maintenance workers at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) says job action could be on the way once again.
Negotiations between the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) and the STM appear to have stalled.
READ: STM maintenance workers’ union considers more pressure tactics
The parties have been negotiating to renew the maintenance workers’ collective agreement for nearly two years now.
“The union is thinking about a strike if the bargaining doesn’t move. But we are not confirming a date for a strike for the moment,” said CSN spokesperson Hubert Forcier.
There have been four walkouts by the unionized workers in the past eight months. The first one was in June 2025, then then in September-October, followed by November, and again in December-January.
That last strike took the form of a refusal to work overtime, which affected users to a lesser extent than previous strikes.
The STM tells CityNews the transit authority is “fully committed to maintaining open discussions with the union to find a solution to break the deadlock and avoid a strike mandate.”
“Last January, discussions resumed in a small committee with the maintenance workers’ union (CSN) after more than 20 months of negotiations, 120 days of mediation, and 45 days of conciliation,” STM spokesperson Amélie Régis said in an email.
“Since January, several meetings have been held in a small committee, and communication channels remain open with the union.”
The STM says it’s submitted several offers to the union, including “compromises and wage increases.”
“We have also demonstrated that it is possible to reach an agreement despite a strict financial framework. Negotiated agreements have been reached with drivers, metro operators, station agents, administrative staff, and professional employees,” Régis wrote.
The issue of using subcontractors remains at the heart of the contract dispute.
The union criticizes the STM for wanting to use subcontracting, saying it leads to its members losing jobs and results in a loss of expertise.
The CSN argues that harms the quality and sustainability of the work, adding that in-house expertise cannot be compared to that of a private subcontractor based solely on the lowest bid.
