Public transit users in Montreal will have to find a Plan B on Saturday as the subway and all STM buses will be stopped due to a driver strike.
• Also read: Schedules, transportation options, monthly passes: here's how to get around Montreal during the 28-day STM strike
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“It will be a nightmare. And chaos. Frankly, it will be hell, both for people who rely on public transport and for motorists stuck in traffic jams,” worries Philippe Jacques, co-CEO of Trajectoire Québec.
For the first time in 38 years, subway and bus service will be disrupted by a strike by the union that represents 4,500 bus drivers, metro operators, station agents and paratransit drivers of the Society of Transport of Montreal (STM).
“When we end up going on strike, it's not out of joy of the heart. We used a lot of pressure tactics that weren't influenced by users, but we didn't see that moving the negotiations forward. We've been there,” explained Magazine Frédéric Therrien, president of the local branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in 1983.
Only adapted transport
Therefore, services will be suspended from 4am Saturday until 3.59am Sunday. Line 747, which runs between Montreal-Trudeau Airport and downtown, will also be suspended. During this period, only adapted transport will be provided to the population.
“It was very important for us to continue to offer services to vulnerable people,” Mr. Therrien emphasized.
Despite the strike, which will affect the entire metropolis, the safety and health of the population are not at risk, ruled the Administrative Labor Court judge Maud Pepin Halle. The ruling Thursday afternoon allows the union to continue its strike.
According to the magistrate, “Both public transport users and motorists have access to several technology tools to tailor their journeys in real time. […] They will be able to modulate their behavior and use alternative modes of transport.
“We are very unhappy with this decision. It is not because there are other means that all people can take advantage of,” said Philippe Jacques, highlighting the exorbitant cost of some alternatives such as taxis.
“It will hurt workers, medical personnel, those with doctor's appointments, the elderly,” he said.
Busy evening
According to Judge Pepin Halle, the rest will have to stop traveling to Montreal entirely because they cannot find a suitable means of transportation.
The metropolitan area will also host several sporting events on Saturday, including the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre, the Roses at Laval's Boreal Stadium for their first playoff dual and the Alouettes at Percival-Molson Stadium in the eastern semi-finals. The Université de Montréal Carabins will also play an elimination game against the Concordia Stingers.
Those who intended to get there by public transport will have to find another plan… and be patient.
Remember that the union is demanding more humane working hours and an end to unpaid working hours. President Frederic Therrien is also concerned about the impact that the $100 million STM cut will have on the services offered to users.
These pressure tactics are in addition to those of STM maintenance staff. The strike, planned for November, will result in the cessation of subway and bus services for 28 days outside peak hours.
Drivers may also go on strike on November 14 and 15.
