Montreal STM Strike Cleared for Full Weekend Shutdown

Published on Nov 13, 2025, 3:00 pm CST

9 min read

Key points

Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal has authorized a full STM bus and metro shutdown for November 15 and 16 if no agreement is reached
Most STM service on the island of Montreal would stop from 4:00 a.m. ET Saturday until just before 4:00 a.m. ET Monday, with metro stations locked
Paratransit continues as an essential service while EXO commuter rail and the REM remain outside the strike and offer limited alternatives
Airport travelers lose easy STM links to Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and must pivot to taxis, rideshare, and shuttles
This update builds on Adept Traveler's November 11 STM strike coverage as the outlook shifts from reduced service to a tribunal sanctioned full shutdown risk

Impact

Airport Transfers: If you fly in or out of Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) on November 15 or 16, plan for taxis, rideshare, hotel shuttles, or private transfers instead of STM buses or metro.
Rail Connections: If you connect to VIA Rail or Exo trains at Central Station or Lucien L'Allier, allow extra time for walking, cabs, or REM segments, because metro and most buses may not be available.
Within City Trips: Assume longer walking times and tight ridehail supply across central Montreal, and try to keep dinner, event, or game plans near your lodging to avoid cross city trips.
Contingency Planning: Check STM, Exo, and REM apps daily, screenshot any schedules you rely on, and be ready to adjust quickly if a last minute settlement restores some weekend service.
Accessibility Needs: Paratransit remains in service for essential trips, but riders should confirm bookings early and build extra time into medical or work appointments over the strike weekend.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada is now facing the prospect of a near complete public transit shutdown after Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal approved a full weekend strike by Société de transport de Montréal, STM, drivers and metro operators for November 15 and 16 if no agreement is reached. The ruling allows STM to suspend regular bus and metro service across the island from early Saturday until early Monday, keeping only legally mandated paratransit and narrow essential flows in place. For visitors and travelers, that shifts the Montreal STM strike from a constrained schedule scenario to one where most familiar routes simply disappear.

The change carries particular weight for anyone relying on the STM network to reach Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), downtown hotels, or VIA Rail and Exo rail hubs. Without buses and metro lines, many trips will move onto taxis, rideshare, hotel shuttles, and limited Réseau express métropolitain, REM, segments, all of which can clog quickly when transit shuts down.

Société De Transport De Montréal Strike Escalation

The November STM disruption began with a rolling strike by maintenance workers that narrowed service to rush hour metro bands and reduced bus schedules, supported by an essential services framework that preserved limited operations but lengthened waits and cut coverage. Earlier this week, STM confirmed that maintenance workers have suspended their strike and that service was gradually returning toward normal operations, but the drivers and metro operators had already filed notice for a separate two day walkout.

After a public hearing where groups including Aéroports de Montréal and rider advocates argued for extensive essential service protections, the Administrative Labour Tribunal issued a decision authorizing the drivers and operators to proceed with a full strike on November 15 and 16, subject to a narrow essential services plan. STM's own strike information page now warns that, if the strike is confirmed, metro stations will be locked and metro service fully halted on Saturday and Sunday, resuming only on Monday, November 17, at about 530 a.m. ET. Bus service would stop at 400 a.m. ET on Saturday and resume around 4:00 a.m. ET Monday, leaving a roughly 48 hour window with no regular STM buses in circulation.

Paratransit remains protected as an essential service and is expected to continue operating throughout the weekend under the tribunal order. Exo commuter rail lines and the REM are outside STM's corporate structure, so they are not directly affected by the STM drivers and operators strike mandate, although past STM disruptions have driven spillover crowding onto those networks.

This article updates Adept Traveler's earlier coverage, Montreal STM Strike Narrows Service, Back-To-Work Bill In Play, which focused on the reduced schedule and potential back to work legislation, and reflects the shift to a tribunal sanctioned full shutdown risk on November 15 and 16.

Latest Developments

Local outlets report that the tribunal decision comes as maintenance workers return to their posts, which should stabilize the system midweek, but preserves the union's ability to fully withdraw bus and metro service over the weekend if talks with STM management do not produce a deal. CityNews Montreal notes that the ruling followed submissions from Aéroports de Montréal, rider advocacy group Trajectoire Québec, and senior organizations who argued that a full weekend shutdown would severely affect essential trips, including airport and hospital access.

Union representatives for STM drivers and operators argue that they are seeking improvements to wages, benefits, and scheduling conditions, particularly around nights and weekends, and that targeted strike days are necessary to maintain bargaining leverage. STM's management and the provincial government counter that a total weekend shutdown would cause disproportionate harm to low income workers, shift employees, and older riders who rely heavily on buses and metro lines, and they continue to signal openness to a back to work law if negotiations stall.

In short, the Montreal STM strike is no longer only about longer headways and crowded peak trains. Unless there is a breakthrough before Saturday morning, STM riders should prepare for the possibility that nearly all regular buses and metros will stop running for the entire November 15 to 16 weekend.

Analysis

How It Works

Quebec's essential services framework allows public sector unions, including STM units, to strike as long as a minimum level of service is maintained or explicitly defined by the Administrative Labour Tribunal. In the earlier maintenance workers strike, that translated into a sparse but real rush hour metro and bus schedule, supported by late evening bands, while much of the rest of the day saw little or no service.

For the November 15 and 16 drivers and metro operators strike, the tribunal has accepted that essential needs can be covered by paratransit and a small set of designated services, which opens the door to suspending the regular STM timetable entirely over the weekend. That is why this decision moves the risk profile from simply constrained service to a near total shutdown, even though the longer strike mandate still runs through November 28.

Exo commuter rail, the REM, and many regional buses are governed by separate labor agreements, so they can provide some relief, but they cannot fully substitute for STM's dense bus and metro network. The REM airport branch is not yet open, so there is still no direct rail link from YUL into downtown during this dispute.

Airport And Rail Transfers By Time Of Day

If you are flying out of Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Saturday morning, assume that the usual STM airport bus routes will not be available and that taxis, rideshare, hotel shuttles, or prebooked car services will carry almost all of the load. For departures before about 10:00 a.m. ET, plan to leave significantly earlier than usual, because demand for curbside vehicles will spike and highway congestion often builds quickly when transit withdraws.

Midday flights on Saturday or Sunday are vulnerable to a second wave of delays, as late morning hotel checkouts and cruise or rail arrivals feed more people into the same limited pool of cars. If you can, arrange a fixed price transfer with a hotel or private operator, and have a backup rideshare option ready in case your first plan falls through. For late evening or overnight flights, do not assume that things will be easier, because many travelers will try to shift their rides into off peak windows, and a missing bus network can keep demand elevated well into the night.

Rail passengers connecting through downtown should also build generous buffers. If you have a VIA Rail or Exo departure from Central Station or Lucien L'Allier on November 15 or 16, consider staying within walking distance of the station, especially if you have luggage or mobility constraints. When that is not possible, prebook a taxi, coordinate a hotel shuttle, or, on corridors where it makes sense, use Exo or REM segments to get close to downtown, then complete the last segment by foot or short cab ride.

On Monday morning, November 17, STM has signaled that bus service should resume around 400 a.m. ET and metro service around 530 a.m. ET, but the first couple of hours are likely to be messy as vehicles and staff return to normal duties. If you have an early flight or train on Monday, treat it as part of the disruption window and keep private ground transport as your primary plan.

Getting Around The City Without STM

Within the city, a full STM shutdown turns many everyday trips into walks or short drives. Popular tourism and nightlife districts such as the Plateau, Mile End, Old Montreal, and the Quartier des Spectacles become harder to reach from distant neighborhoods when buses and metro lines are not available.

If you are visiting Montreal over the November 15 to 16 weekend, try to cluster your plans by neighborhood instead of crisscrossing the island. Pick a base area that covers most of what you want to see, then walk, bike, or use car share for short hops. Keep restaurant reservations, shows, and sporting events within a comfortable walking radius of your lodging whenever possible.

Travelers who rely on accessible transit should note that paratransit services are expected to remain in operation but may be heavily booked. Make requests as early as your provider allows, confirm the day before, and build even larger time buffers around medical appointments or work shifts than you might during a normal week.

Union, Employer, And Traveler Outlook

For STM workers, this weekend strike authorization is a high leverage move in a long running dispute over compensation and working conditions. For STM management and the provincial government, it raises the political cost of inaction, especially if the city experiences another weekend with zero regular bus and metro service.

Travelers do not control the pace of these talks, but they can control their own risk exposure. Treat any STM service that appears on apps or maps for November 15 and 16 as provisional until a formal settlement is announced. Lock in backup ground transport, keep your contacts updated on likely arrival times, and watch for last minute announcements that could either restore some service or extend the disruption window.

Final Thoughts

The Montreal STM strike is entering a more disruptive phase as Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal clears the way for a full weekend shutdown of STM buses and metro lines on November 15 and 16 if talks fail. For travelers, that means planning as if most public transit will not exist for those two days, then treating any restored service as upside rather than a guarantee.

If your plans touch Montreal this weekend, especially through Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or the downtown rail hubs, treat the Montreal STM strike as a serious constraint, build wide buffers into every transfer, and secure private or non STM options before you travel.