Special constables from the Montreal transit agency lock the doors to a subway station during a strike by maintenance workers in Montreal on Monday, June 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

MONTREAL — A transit strike kicked off Monday morning that could disrupt bus and subway service in Montreal for the next two weeks, as Quebec's labour minister accused the workers of holding public transit users hostage.

The strike by the Montreal transit agency's maintenance workers will limit service to morning and evening rush hours and late at night on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The 2,400 maintenance workers are also refusing to work overtime.

The labour disruption follows an earlier strike in June, which also reduced bus and subway service outside peak hours.

"The strike by maintenance workers at (the transit agency) is once again holding people who depend on public transportation hostage," Labour Minister Jean Boulet wrote Monday on the X platform.

"It is imperative that negotiations continue intensively in order to minimize the impact on the public."

During a Monday morning press conference, the president of the maintenance workers' union said the two sides have agreed to a five-day “negotiation blitz” this week in the hopes of reaching a deal to renew the collective agreement after more than 100 negotiation meetings.

Bruno Jeannotte denied holding transit users hostage, saying the workers are fighting "for reliable public service" and to maintain expertise at the transit agency — Société de transport de Montréal.

The labour dispute primarily concerns wages and the agency's use of subcontracting. The transit agency is offering a 12.5 per cent wage increase over five years to all of its employees. But the union is demanding 25 per cent over five years, arguing it's entitled to a "catch-up" since previous wage increases have been lower than inflation.

The agency also wants to be able to outsource certain services, including snow removal, to cut costs. However, the maintenance workers' current collective agreement restricts the use of subcontractors. The union doesn't want to budge on subcontracting, arguing it's protecting its members' jobs. Jeannotte said the transit agency risks losing expertise if it relies on private contractors.

On Friday, transit agency CEO Marie-Claude Léonard said the two sides were “very far from reaching an agreement.” The agency says the union's salary demands exceed its ability to pay by $300 million.

The agency made an offer to the maintenance workers on Thursday, which the union rejected, saying the employer was refusing to show flexibility on key issues.

The Montreal transit agency handles 1.1 million trips per day. Its subway network includes 68 stations and its bus network comprises 223 routes.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025