My Alerts The STM has decided to submit an official request for a mediator, in order to break the current deadlock in negotiations with the maintenance employees’ union.
Montréal, May 24, 2018 – The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has decided to submit an official request for a mediator, by virtue of the Act respecting the process of negotiation of collective agreements and the settlement of disputes in the municipal sector (CQLR, chapter 24), in order to break the current deadlock in negotiations with the maintenance employees’ union. The union is considering asking its members to approve a second strike mandate in the coming days.
On May 14, in good faith, the STM invited the union to submit a joint application to the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity for the immediate appointment of a mediator.
Given the union’s refusal, the STM now intends to submit a unilateral application for the appointment of a mediator, and will do so on June 6 in compliance with the Act.
Consequences to avoid
The most recent strike, triggered in early May, involved only the use of overtime. It nevertheless deprived transit users of a number of hours of bus service, and the impact of the strike continues to be felt to this day.
Out of respect for its clientele, the STM has therefore decided to submit a letter informing the Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity that no agreement has been reached and that mediation can now begin.
Forty-six meetings have been held so far, over a period of more than a year. At the start of the process, the union and STM agreed on certain sections of the collective agreement. However, it is now clear that no progress has been made over the past few weeks and no agreement has been reached on high-priority demands aimed, among other things, at ensuring service for transit users in the long term.
Given this impasse and increasing tension in the workplace, along with the risk that transit users will again suffer the consequences of a full or partial work stoppage, the STM has decided to take action in order to ensure that everything possible is done to sign a new collective agreement as soon as possible.
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Source:
Johanne Dufour
Corporate Administrator, Public Affairs, STM
medias@stm.info