Montreal STM Strike Deals Ease Shutdown Risk For Now

Published on Nov 17, 2025, 11:22 am CST

7 min read

Key points

Tentative STM union deals have cancelled shutdown strikes on November 15 to 16 and November 19
Regular bus and metro service is restored, but labour negotiations and political pressure continue
Travelers can again rely on STM links between Montreal Trudeau Airport, Central Station, and downtown with extra time for crowds
Essential service rules and recent strike mandates mean future disruption remains a medium term risk rather than an immediate threat

Impact

Transit Plans: Use STM buses and metro as normal through late November but expect heavier crowds and occasional gaps during peak hours
Airport Transfers: Build in extra buffer when connecting between Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Central Station, and downtown hotels
Rail Connections: Keep VIA Rail and Exo commuter trains in mind as backups if any new STM pressure tactics reappear
Strike Horizon: Watch for union ratification votes and potential legislative changes later in November that could reshape future strike leverage

Travelers who were bracing for another full weekend without Montreal buses or metro trains now face a more manageable risk profile, because two key STM strike plans have been pulled back in favour of tentative deals. A late evening agreement between the Société de transport de Montréal and the union for roughly 4,500 bus drivers, metro operators, and station agents cancelled the November 15 to 16 shutdown, and a separate agreement with administrative and professional staff has now led to the cancellation of a November 19 walkout. Regular service is running again, but the month long labour dispute and the province's debate over stronger essential service laws mean the story is not fully over.

The practical bottom line has shifted from a likely system wide shutdown with only paratransit and a few regional options as backstops to a situation where STM buses and metro trains are operating, and most November travelers can plan with more confidence while still allowing extra time for peak crowding and weather slowed transfers.

Montreal STM strike context

The current round of STM labour unrest has unfolded in layers. Maintenance workers represented by the Syndicat du transport de Montréal had a strike mandate that initially ran from November 1 to 28, with an Administrative Labour Tribunal ruling that set a strict essential service framework so metro trains and buses would run mainly in the morning and afternoon rush hours, plus limited late evening windows. That pattern followed earlier STM strikes in June and September that had already shown commuters what restricted peak only operation looked like.

On top of that, the tribunal later approved a full strike by bus drivers and metro operators for the November 15 to 16 weekend, authorising a complete suspension of STM service from 400 a.m. on November 15 until just before 400 a.m. on November 17 if no agreement was reached, with only paratransit carved out as an exception. Local advocacy groups and airport officials warned that another two day shutdown would again cut off lower income residents and visitors from jobs, medical appointments, and travel connections, all as winter conditions and freeze thaw cycles began to complicate walking and driving around the island.

A third pressure point was the strike mandate obtained by the Syndicat du personnel administratif, technique et professionnel du transport en commun, a CUPE local representing about 1,300 administrative, technical, and professional staff, which targeted November 19 for a separate walkout after its contract also expired in early 2025. That action would not have shut down trains and buses outright, but it raised real risk for ticket counters, customer service, and back office functions that support day to day operations.

Latest developments

The immediate shutdown threat eased on the night of November 14, when the STM announced a tentative agreement with the union representing drivers, operators, and station agents, and confirmed that the November 15 and 16 strike notice was lifted. The agency's Info Strike page now flags regular bus and metro service on those dates, and notes that the maintenance workers strike, which had constrained operations since early November, was ended on November 12 with full service gradually restored.

In parallel, the tribunal's earlier approval of a full shutdown decision now sits in the background as a worst case scenario that did not materialise, because the parties reached a negotiated settlement before the strike window opened. That means the STM avoided a repeat of the earlier November weekend when Montrealers had virtually no bus or metro options and had to fall back on Exo commuter trains, the REM light rail line, taxis, rideshares, and carpools to move around the region.

The last major piece fell into place on November 16, when CUPE 2850, the union representing STM administrative, technical, and professional staff, announced a tentative agreement with management and cancelled its planned November 19 strike day. Quebec's labour tribunal had already ruled that a small core of workers would have to be available that day for health and safety reasons, but the deal now removes the prospect of shuttered service counters and frozen administrative processes that could have complicated refunds, service changes, and customer support.

Taken together, those agreements move the STM from a calendar dotted with hard shutdown dates back to a more fluid environment, where essential service decisions, political debate over Bill 14, and ratification votes will shape whether pressure returns later in November.

Analysis

For travelers, the most important change is that STM buses and metro trains are again running on normal schedules, with the agency explicitly stating that regular service is in place for mid November and that the strike scheduled through November 28 has been called off. That means most visitors can plan to use the metro to move between downtown hotels, business districts, and key neighbourhoods, and to connect with bus routes that feed into major hubs such as Berri UQAM and Lionel Groulx.

Connections to Montréal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) and Central Station also become more predictable again. The frequent 747 airport bus line and other STM routes feeding the airport corridor should operate normally, although travelers should still allow extra time when winter precipitation or residual labour actions slow boarding and transfers. At the rail end, VIA Rail Canada trains and Exo commuter services at Central Station remain useful backups if STM disruptions resurface, but they no longer have to carry the full burden of a city wide shutdown.

Business travelers and conference delegates should treat the next two weeks as a window where transit is functioning but political and labour risk is not fully resolved. The Quebec government has used the STM dispute to argue for stronger legal tools to protect essential services during strikes, and Bill 14 is scheduled to take effect at the end of November, which could shift bargaining dynamics in future disputes even if current agreements are ratified smoothly.

Background, how essential services work in Quebec transit strikes

Under Quebec law, unions in essential sectors can strike, but they must first negotiate an essential services plan with the employer and submit it to the Administrative Labour Tribunal for approval. That plan specifies what minimum level of service must be kept in place to protect public health and safety. In the STM case, the tribunal accepted a framework that limited bus and metro service to rush hour and late evening windows for a planned 28 day maintenance strike, then later accepted arguments that a weekend without bus or metro service would not cross the legal threshold for health and safety risk, which is how a full shutdown became possible for November 15 and 16 before the last minute deal.

That legal structure explains why travelers see a mix of restricted schedules, core corridors kept open, and occasional full day shutdowns instead of a simple on or off strike pattern. It also explains why hospitals, municipalities, and airport operators pushed hard to be heard during the tribunal process, since their testimony shapes how much transit must stay available even in the middle of a labour dispute.

Final thoughts

For now, the Montreal STM strike story has shifted from imminent shutdown risk to a period of cautious normality, with regular service restored and the November 15 to 16 and November 19 strike days cancelled. Travelers can once again plan around STM buses and metro lines as their primary way to move between Montréal Trudeau, Central Station, and downtown, while keeping an eye on union ratification votes, potential political moves, and winter weather that could still disrupt surface travel. The Montreal STM strike remains a live issue, but for mid November visitors and residents, the gates are open rather than locked.