Montreal’s New Mayor Pushes for Urgent Talks Amid Transit Strike Chaos
Montreal is facing one of its biggest transportation crises in decades. Just days after being elected, the city’s new mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada , is wasting no time stepping into the heart of the issue. She’s demanding an “emergency meeting” with officials from the Société de transport de Montréal, or STM, as the ongoing strike by maintenance workers continues to paralyze public transit services.
Since Sunday, the city’s metro and buses have been running only during rush hours and late evenings , leaving thousands of Montrealers scrambling for alternatives. The strike, which could stretch until November 28 , has disrupted daily life across the metropolis, and frustration is clearly mounting.
Also Read:- Muscles, Mayhem, and National Pride Collide inPhysical: Asia
- Hydro-Québec Faces $1 Billion Cost Surge in U.S. Power Export Projects
Mayor Martinez Ferrada made it clear during her first press conference that resolving this crisis is her number-one priority . She emphasized how the strike’s impact on residents’ lives cannot be ignored — people depend on public transit to work, study, and care for their families. She’s called for a swift negotiation process, stressing that both sides — STM management and the workers’ union — need to show good faith and sit down at the table immediately.
At the core of this dispute are disagreements over wages, work conditions, and scheduling flexibility . The STM has offered a 12.5% salary increase over five years , partially indexed to inflation, but the union argues that’s not enough. They point out that other transit workers in Quebec have received raises closer to 18%. There are also concerns about outsourcing and the creation of irregular work schedules, issues that workers say threaten their stability.
Martinez Ferrada has firmly said she is not in favor of a special law to force employees back to work. She insists on respecting the workers’ right to negotiate, but at the same time, she wants transparency and accountability from STM leadership — particularly about why no agreement has been reached so far.
The effects of the strike are being felt citywide. Metro stations in downtown Montreal have turned eerily quiet, with locked gates and confused commuters turned away. For people like Celia Mektoul , a childcare worker from Montréal-Nord, the situation has become unbearable. She now spends hours waiting between limited service windows, calling it “morally and physically exhausting.”
Others, like Ivette Eugène , a mother juggling language classes and childcare, describe how the strike has completely upended their daily routines. Even healthcare workers are struggling to reach hospitals, resorting to costly taxis just to get to their shifts.
The public sentiment is clear — most Montrealers view public transit as an essential service . In fact, surveys show nearly 98% of residents believe so. Yet, the ongoing disruption has exposed how fragile the city’s transit system can become when labor disputes drag on.
As negotiations hang in the balance, the new mayor’s leadership is being tested right out of the gate. Her call for an emergency meeting signals a push for action — and Montrealers are watching closely, hoping that soon, the city that thrives on movement will finally get moving again.
Read More:
0 Comments