What you need to know about the 2 STM strikes

The national representing autobus drivers, Metro operators and presumption agents has filed a two-day onslaught announcement with Montreal's nationalist transit bureau for Nov. 15 and 16.

In a caller s merchandise Thursday, the Syndicat des chauffeurs, opérateurs et employés des services connexes (SCFP 1983), said it remains committed to ongoing negotiations and is "optimistic" that an statement volition beryllium reached by Nov. 15.

The determination comes aft national members staged a one-day onslaught connected Saturday that crushed nationalist transit to a halt for 24 hours, with the objection of adapted transit wherever work was maintained successful full.

The autobus drivers' onslaught coincided with the commencement of a month-long onslaught by the attraction workers' union, the Syndicat du Transport de Montréal.

Over the duration of that strike, stretching until Nov. 28, adapted transit is operating arsenic accustomed portion autobus and Metro work is reduced 7 days a week and confined to the pursuing hours to conscionable rush-hour needs:

Bus:

• from 6:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
• from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• from 11:15 p.m. to 1:15 a.m.

Most buses departing earlier the scheduled extremity of work volition implicit their trips, says the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).

Metro:

• from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
• from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.
• from 11 p.m. until the Metro's accustomed closing time.

Metro stations volition adjacent gradually arsenic the past bid passes, says the STM.

The attraction workers' onslaught included municipal predetermination day. When deciding connected the scope of the 2 strikes, Quebec's labour tribunal said its relation was not to measurement citizens' close to ballot against workers' close to strike.

Terms of onslaught connected Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 not yet clear

Complicating matters, however, is the impermanent removal from work past week of immoderate of the STM's articulated buses aft issues with definite vehicles' centrifugal cooling system.

The accordion buses which tin transportation 115 people, are being temporarily replaced by regular buses with a capableness of 75.

The main contented for commuters has been overcrowding connected immoderate autobus routes, with the STM saying the buses volition beryllium backmost connected the roadworthy successful the coming weeks.

It besides recovered that halting each nationalist transit for 24 hours connected Saturday did not endanger the public's wellness and safety.

The presumption of the adjacent 2 onslaught days connected Nov. 15 and 16 are not yet known, arsenic the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and the national person not been capable to hold connected which indispensable services should beryllium maintained, meaning the tribunal volition again person to measurement in.

Public Transit advocacy radical Trajectoire Québec has been captious of the tribunal's decisions.

Spokesperson Philippe Jacques said the tribunal's considerations were excessively constrictive and instrumentality for granted that everyone tin spend — oregon is acceptable capable — to get astir with the "very few" alternatives that exist.

"We don't person the aforesaid mentation arsenic them astatine all," helium said.

WATCH | Montrealers springiness their thoughts connected the strike:

Refunds and different ways around

Monthly STM passes tin beryllium refunded if the petition is made earlier the archetypal of the month, the nationalist transit authorization has indicated connected its website. Once a monthly oregon play walk is validated, the determination nationalist transit authorization successful complaint of the STM's fees volition not contented refunds oregon rebates.

Alternative ways of getting astir Montreal see Bixis, 2 car-sharing apps and taxis, among others.

Bixi Montréal has indicated it volition heighten its work until Nov. 28 and set-up drop-off stations successful high-traffic areas. Seasonal memberships volition extremity connected Nov. 15, aft which radical volition beryllium capable to rent bikes lone successful circumstantial areas covered by the Bixi year-round initiative.

Bixi Montréal volition boost work until Nov. 28 and adhd drop-off stations. Seasonal memberships extremity Nov. 15. After that, rentals are constricted to year-round areas. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

Communauto says it volition effort to maximize the availability of its 4,500 vehicles during the strike. It suggests radical instrumentality vantage of carpooling groups to co-ordinate rides with different users. Earlier this year, different car-sharing service, Leo Carshare, entered the Montreal market.

In a statement, Uber says it's encouraging Montrealers to stock their trips with others. The institution says it's capping dynamic pricing during the strike.

2 STM unions connected strike

Saturday marked the archetypal clip successful 38 years that the national representing autobus drivers, Metro operators and presumption agents has gone connected strike.

At the dialog table, the national has been asking for amended schedules and the extremity of unpaid work.

Bus drivers deterioration orangish shirts successful solidarity with the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) attraction workers successful Montreal backmost successful June. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press)

The attraction workers' union, for its part, has already gone connected onslaught doubly this year: erstwhile successful June for 9 days and again successful September for 14 days.

Remaining sticking points see wage increases and outsourcing. The STM said it operates connected a fixed fund and can't spend to wage what the attraction workers' national is asking for.

Meanwhile, the national has argued that outsourcing is lone a short-term cost-saving measurement and that subcontracting companies yet rise their rates oregon prices.