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Gatineau bus strike ends, STO service fully restored

An STO city bus pulls into a Gatineau stop after the Gatineau bus strike ends, signaling full service restoration.
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2 min read

Key points

  • STO and front-line management union reached a tentative agreement.
  • Bus service resumed October 21 at 3:00 p.m./15:00 ET.
  • Normal timetables restored across Gatineau by October 22.
  • Board and union ratification still pending, no terms disclosed.

Impact

What Changed
STO ended its strike after a tentative deal with the front-line management union.
Why It Matters
Gatineau riders regain predictable bus service, including integrated school routes and regular frequencies.
Dates
Service resumed October 21 at 3:00 p.m./15:00 ET; full schedules by October 22.
What To Do
Plan trips on normal timetables, and check STO alerts for any route-specific detours.

Société de transport de l'Outaouais reached a tentative agreement with its front-line management union, ending the walkout that disrupted Gatineau, Québec. Bus operations began returning at 300 p.m./1500 ET on October 21, with normal timetables restored across the network by October 22. The agency said details of the deal will follow ratification by its board and union members. For travelers, that means regular frequencies, integrated school routes, and predictable connections are back in place after roughly two days of stoppage.

Société de transport de l'Outaouais agreement

STO confirmed the agreement with the United Transit Union, Local 1557, which represents supervisors, inspectors, and trainers often described as front-line managers. The agency stated the deal effectively ends the strike and allows a full return to usual schedules. School routes integrated into the network were included as service resumed on the afternoon of October 21.

Analysis

The fast return to full timetables reduces the risk of cascading delays on commuter corridors between Gatineau and neighboring Ottawa, Ontario. Riders who built contingency plans during the stoppage can now revert to standard travel patterns, but should still watch for lingering route-specific detours unrelated to labor actions. STO's alert feed shows typical construction and safety-related stop changes, which are common in the fall and may affect travel time on certain lines.

If you rely on timed transfers, verify your first morning departure to reconfirm headways. If you missed prepaid appointments during the stoppage, ask providers about grace periods; agencies often make short accommodations after system-wide disruptions.

Final thoughts

With the Gatineau bus strike ends news confirmed by STO, travelers regain reliable public transit and normal schedules. Continued monitoring is prudent while the agreement proceeds to formal ratification, but STO's network has returned to regular operations.

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