No buses or metros Saturday in Montreal because of transit strike

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MONTREAL — Montreal’s buses and metro trains ground to a halt Saturday as hundreds of striking public transit workers gathered downtown to press for improved pay and working conditions.

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Montrealers who typically rely on public transit were forced to find alternatives after metro and bus drivers called a one-day strike — their first strike in 38 years.

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Dozens of school buses could be seen dropping off workers wearing bright orange shirts in support of their union, which represents 4,500 bus drivers, metro operators and station agents.

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Negotiations between the union and the city’s transit network have been underway for months now, after the workers’ contract expired in January.

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Union president Frederic Therrien blamed the labour dispute on the province’s underfunding of the network, which he said has worsened conditions for both workers and transit users.

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“Today, we’re not just fighting for our salary and working conditions, we’re fighting for the quality of public transport in Montreal,” said Therrien.

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But “it’s the least we need to pay for things to improve,” the union president said.

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There have been more than 60 meetings at the negotiation table so far, he said, adding the union remains committed to finding a solution. Starting Monday, a mediator will join the discussions.

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In a statement to The Canadian Press, the transit network said it was committed to working with the union and that it was hopeful the mediator can help both sides reach an agreement soon.

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Another union representing about 2,400 maintenance workers has said it will begin a four-week strike Sunday.

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Bus and metro service will still be available each day throughout November, but only during rush hours and late evenings, meaning Montrealers will still have to find other ways to get around for long stretches of the day.

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The union representing bus drivers and metro operators also plans to strike for an entire weekend later this month, on Nov. 15 and 16.

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Therrien said many union members are on stress leave because the demands of the job are too high, adding that bus drivers aren’t given nearly enough time to keep to their posted schedules.

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“We want to be respected for our true worth,” Therrien said.

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The current starting salary for a driver is about $29 an hour, and rises to roughly $35 an hour, excluding overtime. The union has said that falls short of rates in surrounding cities.

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The transit network’s general director Marie-Claude Leonard said Friday the network recently brought a new offer that included higher salaries.

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The public transit agency has been struggling with an aging network it says it can no longer afford to maintain. In March, it decried a roughly $258-million reduction in provincial funding over three years for the upkeep of the metro system, far from the extra $585 million it had asked for.

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The public transit strike coincides with major sporting events in the city.

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On Saturday afternoon the Montreal Alouettes were playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at home in the CFL’s eastern semifinal. The Montreal Canadiens were also facing off against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens’ farm team — the Laval Rocket — meanwhile were playing at home against the Rochester Americans in the AHL.