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A day before Quebec’s labour minister is set to table a bill that would give the provincial government the power to end the ongoing public transit strike, the union representing maintenance workers with Montreal’s public transit authority announced it was suspending its month-long strike.
In a news release sent late Tuesday night, the union which represents 2,400 maintenance workers, said the suspension of the strike at the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) would take effect as of Wednesday at 6 a.m.
“Although there’s been significant movement on the union’s part to help reach a deal, the STM is still inflexible and insensitive to the effects of the strike on the population,” states the release from the Syndicat du transport de Montréal.
“Our union is not insensitive and it’s suspending the strike in order to continue negotiations while aiming for public transit to be financed in a fair way that can maintain good working conditions for the STM’s 2,400 maintenance workers.”
Law 14, which was known as Bill 89 when it was tabled at the National Assembly, gives the provincial government the ability to step in and end strikes when they affect an essential service for Quebecers. It also introduces “well-being” as a criteria in the determination of essential services by the labour tribunal.
Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet planned to table a bill Wednesday morning to give the government the power to apply Law 14 before it was supposed to take effect on Nov. 30.
In its statement, the union said the minister’s plan hurt its ability to negotiate with the STM, saying the Coalition Avenir Québec government made it easier for the transit authority to “not budge” on the negotiation front.
“The STM no longer had any incentive to negotiate with us,” reads a statement from union president Bruno Jeannotte.
