Laval Bus Drivers Strike Starting Friday – Here's How It'll Affect Your Ride
The union cites mismanagement. Management says the strike will "unnecessarily hurt" passengers.
Laval bus drivers are going to be on strike on November 26 and 27. It will have a substantial impact on public transit in Laval, with Friday's bus schedule reduced considerably and the system completely shut down on Saturday. So, if you are a Laval resident, you should plan ahead.
On Friday, there will be no service outside of peak hours, with buses running only from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The strike will be inconvenient, at the very least, for Laval residents and business owners, but the drivers' union says it was obliged to go on strike because of poor management at the Société de transport de Laval (STL). The STL has countered that the strike "unnecessarily hurts" its passengers.
"Customers must understand that we are forced by management to go on strike, because the mismanagement of the STL is endangering the public transport service of the citizens of Laval," said Patrick Lafleur, president of the STL drivers' union. "At the dawn of 2022, we stand up for the sustainable development of our city. Laval residents deserve quality public transit service."
In a press release, STL management apologized for the strike's potential impact on people's daily routine, and said it was "unfortunate that the union has made that decision despite ongoing negotiations."
The release went on to state that another "conciliation meeting" is set to take place early next week, on November 29.
The STL says the pandemic caused "a massive drop in ridership" and led to "considerable revenue losses for the entire metropolitan area." It says those conditions are factors in the offers it has made in negotiations with the unions representing its workers.
