STM returns to full service for Grand Prix weekend
The full-day, regular-frequency service will last until Sunday, coinciding with Grand Prix weekend. It is part of the strike plan approved by the Tribunal administratif du travail, Quebec's labour tribunal, which deemed the reprieve necessary to accommodate the influx of transit riders attending the event.
Transit service will return to 50 per cent frequency outside peak hours Monday and Tuesday, the last days of the nine-day strike.
The STM and union are set to meet with the newly appointed mediator Friday. Both sides and the mediator plan to return to the bargaining table Monday.
The union and employer remain far apart on key issues, union president Bruno Jeannotte said Thursday, including on the STM's proposal to use subcontractors.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
17-07-2025
- CBC
STM maintenance workers say they might strike again if negotiations don't speed up
Maintenance workers with the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) are accusing the public transit operator of dragging its feet at the negotiation table and are warning of another strike in the fall, if talks don't progress faster. Bruno Jeannotte, the president of the union representing the workers, says despite nine meetings with a Quebec-appointed mediator, the STM still hasn't presented its list of priorities. Alongside some of the 2,400 workers represented by the union, Jeannottte held a demonstration outside the STM's maintenance centre on St-Laurent Boulevard, Thursday afternoon. "If there's no change, the status quo remains until August, well you should effectively expect that we'll send strike notices to the labour tribunal," he said. The workers already went on strike for six days in June, during Grand Prix weekend, as negotiations around their collective agreement, which expired in January, reached a standstill. Quebec's labour minister named a mediator three days into the strike. Major sticking points for the union include work schedules and the STM's reliance on subcontracting. "We want to protect everything that's done internally right now. Even if it doesn't go as smoothly as we'd like, one thing is certain: When it's done internally, we have full control," said Jeannotte. Workers are also asking for a 25 per cent wage increase over five years. The STM has instead offered them an 11 per cent bump over the same period of time. Philippe Jacques, the co-executive director and spokesperson for Trajectoire Québec, a public transit advocacy group, said he struggles to understand why there's talks of another strike given the involvement of a mediator. The interruption of service in June had major impacts, and he says he's worried about the possibility of commuters going through a similar situation again. "The essential service that was offered was clearly insufficient," he said. "We had a lot of people tell us they missed work at their own expense, they missed doctor's appointments." The STM for its part says it's trusting the negotiation process and keeping course with a calendar set by the mediator. In an emailed statement, it said it considered talks are on the right track, especially since the mediator got involved. According to its CEO Marie-Claude Léonard, the STM's priorities are "very clear." She said the STM needs flexibility in its schedules due to its 24/7 operations and clauses ensuring "the right person at the right place at the right time." "We must ensure that we manage public funds responsibly. I cannot continue to increase charges, always adding more charges without having a return for my client," she said, referring to STM users. She said she could not elaborate on the substance of the discussions so far, given the mediator asked the negotiations remain confidential. Meetings have been happening at a rate of two to three times per week ever since the end of the worker's strike in June, the STM said in a statement.
Montreal Gazette
17-07-2025
- Montreal Gazette
STM workers warn of strike this fall if negotiations drag on
By The threat of another public transit strike looms this fall. Workers for the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) protested the sluggish contract negotiations outside the Youville maintenance garage on St-Laurent Blvd. on Thursday at noon, warning the 2,400 maintenance staff are prepared to walk out again if their demands aren't met. A maintenance worker in the STM's steam department, Jacqueline Maye, said that since the last strike in June, there have been nine negotiation meetings between the employer and the Syndicat du transport de Montréal. Even though a mediator has facilitated the meetings, she said 'nothing is moving forward.' 'Nobody wants to go on strike, but going on strike is the only way we can be heard,' Maye said at the transit workers' protest. She noted employees are limited in what they can do during a strike because they are considered an essential service, and that the parameters of a future strike would be similar to the last one. The nine-day STM strike last month caused major disruptions for transit users: bus and métro services were completely cut at certain times and reduced at others, forcing commuters to find another way to work, school and home. Union president Bruno Jeanotte said even though the strike heavily impacted Montrealers, working conditions still haven't improved. 'We saw that the impact of striking was very minimal at the negotiation table,' he told reporters at the protest Thursday. 'We are nine days into full negotiations with the employer. We still haven't received the employer's priorities,' Jeanotte said, adding that the union representatives made their demands clear at the first meeting. A major sticking point is the STM outsourcing maintenance work from the private sector, which Maye worries could lead to job cuts. 'We have all of the professionals here right on place to do the job, and at the end of the day, it ends up being cheaper,' she said. Warehouse assistant Marie-Ange Museghe, who has been working in STM's bus parts supply department for two decades, said there is a risk the STM will change her working hours if the union doesn't succeed in the negotiations. 'Right now, I start at 7 a.m. and work until 3 p.m., and if we switch, I might have to work until 6 p.m. and I might have to go to places where it's harder for me to get to than where I've been,' she said in an interview. 'It'll be hard to balance work and family. My hours won't be possible,' adding that the schedule change could push her to leave her job. In response to the protest, STM spokesperson Amélie Régis wrote they believe negotiations are moving in the right direction. 'We are fully respecting the agreed deadlines and continuing our work in a reasoned and constructive manner,' she wrote in an email statement to The Gazette. 'Since the end of the strike and the appointment of the mediator, meetings have been taking place at the rate of two to three days a week,' she said, noting there are three meetings this week and there are three planned for next week, with a three-week summer break scheduled for the end of July during the mediator's vacation.
Cision Canada
10-07-2025
- Cision Canada
McCann Worldgroup Appoints Ida Rezvani President, Global Chief Client Officer
NEW YORK, July 10, 2025 /CNW/ -- McCann Worldgroup today announced the appointment of Ida Rezvani as President, Global Chief Client Officer, McCann & McCann Worldgroup. In this newly created role, Rezvani will enhance value and innovation across the network's global portfolio of clients, leveraging her 20+ years of client leadership experience working with iconic global brands at Publicis and Dentsu. Reporting to Daryl Lee, Global CEO, McCann & McCann Worldgroup, Rezvani will accelerate and scale new capabilities and practices that deepen client relationships and expand the strategic and creative services provided to global clients. Those services include McCann Content Studios and McCann Truth Central, amongst others. "At McCann, we are restless in our pursuit of client value and seek to constantly innovate the creativity and capabilities we bring to our global clients and their brands," said Lee. "Ida is a black belt in client stewardship and a fierce champion of the power of global brands. We are excited to be welcoming this true global citizen to our McCann team." Rezvani joins McCann Worldgroup from Publicis, where she served as the Global Client Lead for Pfizer, leading a fully integrated team that drove marketing transformation and delivered significant ROI. Prior to that, she held leadership positions at Dentsu Americas and WPP, consistently driving revenue growth, client satisfaction, and leading award-winning creative work including Effies and IPA Effectiveness for brands including Subway, Virgin Trains, and Grand Prix for M&S, and a Cannes Lion for Crayola. "I am thrilled to join McCann, the Truth Well Told agency, and a team that is so deeply committed to the power of brands to reshape the world," said Rezvani. "I look forward to working with the incredible people around the globe to deliver radical creativity that drives real impact for our global clients and community." Rezvani's appointment follows several high-profile recognitions for the network, including at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, where McCann successfully showcased its commitment to building enduring global brands with award-winning work for L'Oreal Paris, Mastercard and Xbox. McCann Worldgroup was also named to Fast Company's coveted list of Most Innovative Companies 2025 for its work with Microsoft and Mastercard. About McCann McCann builds enduring brands and businesses that drive growth and leave a lasting impact on culture. Founded over 100 years ago and guided by the enduring brand platform, "Truth Well Told," McCann is the world's leading advertising agency network, generating some of the most creatively and commercially impactful advertising globally. McCann is the founding agency of McCann Worldgroup and part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG). About McCann Worldgroup McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global creative solutions company. The company is united across 100+ countries by a mission to build enduring brands together. In 2024, McCann Worldgroup was named Global Network of the Year by the Effie Awards, Network of the Year by the ANDYs and Network of the Year by the EPICA Awards for the sixth time. The core McCann Worldgroup network is comprised of McCann, MRM, CRAFT, and FutureBrand, and partners with Momentum Worldwide, Weber Shandwick and UM to deliver solutions across the entire marketing spectrum. For more information, visit
