STM: 800 professionals consider strike authorization

The union representing 800 professionals at the Société de transport de Montréal is considering strike authorization if negotiations to renew the collective agreement are not successful in the near future.

The professional union represents engineers, architects, analysts, and consultants, for example. It is a local branch of the Syndicat des employé(e)s professoinnel(le)s et de bureau (SEPB), affiliated with the FTQ.

By mutual agreement, the parties have requested mediation in order to facilitate discussions. The first mediation meeting took place on Wednesday.

“We are saying that by the end of the fall, if the employer’s position does not change as a result of this mediation, we will have to ask our members for a strike mandate,” warned Benoît Tessier, vice president of the union, in an interview.

This union has never exercised a strike mandate since it was founded.

The STM maintenance workers’ union went on strike twice, in June and then in late September to early October. The bus drivers’ and subway operators’ union has already obtained a strike mandate, but has not yet exercised it. The latter has not gone on strike for nearly 40 years.

Negotiations began about a year ago. The collective agreement expired last January.

Issue: subcontracting

The main issue is the use of subcontractors, as is the case for the union representing maintenance workers.

Tessier argues that the STM already has sufficient flexibility in the current collective agreement to open temporary positions when it has time-limited projects.

In his view, using private engineering firms would cause the STM to lose its expertise and eventually make it dependent on these firms, which cost more than its own staff.

“The STM must recognize that its internal expertise is an asset, not a problem. Once we agree on this principle, that we value internal expertise first and foremost and that we save money by cutting back on subcontracting, I am convinced that we will be able to reach a settlement,” added Tessier.

STM management points out that “the vast majority of external consultants are found in infrastructure project teams. The expertise of our employees is unique and recognized, and therefore these teams are always mixed. This is also provided for in the collective agreement.”

“However, large infrastructure projects involve a degree of variability that is beyond our control (changes in our investment plans and specific specialized needs). The use of external resources on an ad hoc basis limits long-term financial risks and protects the STM’s primary mission, which is to deliver service,” added the transit company.

“This approach allows us to optimize the use of our internal resources. We are not seeking to increase our use of external resources, but rather to ensure that we have access to the necessary expertise at the right time,” it assured.

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews