After a (winter) truce since the last strike launched by Société des Transports de Montréal maintenance workers in November 2025, it appears that negotiations between the Montreal Transit Union and the STM are once again at a standstill.
For Montrealers, this means a few days of chaos—though we’re starting to get used to it—carpooling with people we dislike because we have to get to work, and long walks that aren’t so unpleasant after all.
In a bulletin distributed to members of the Montreal Transport Union on February 12, employees learned that STM management had left the negotiating table, which began in March 2024, seeking better wages for maintenance workers. Ergo, there is talk of a new general strike coming in early March.
The STM, maintenance workers, negotiations—what we know
This is not the first time this year thatthe maintenance workers’ union has threatened to file a general strike notice in response to slow negotiations with the STMfor better working conditions and higher wages.
The 2,400 maintenance employees of the Société des Transports Montréalais (STM) have been in negotiations since March 2024 to make their demands heard by their employer. Since then, several strikes have paralyzed Montreal for varying lengths of time.
The last of these strikes was in November 2025, ending on November 12, 2026. It was a snowy day, for those who remember. Since then, we have a new mayor, a law has been passed that makes things more complicated, and winter is (almost) over.
For now, nothing has been confirmed, so there’s no need to get upset. But we still recommend sending a friendly text message to a colleague who has a car, digging out your rain boots, and treating yourself to a spa day before the start of March.
Good luck!