Two days before a two-week strike that could be called by Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) drivers, the Quebec Affordable and Accessible Transport Collective (TRAAQ) says it is “concerned” about the situation and is urging that it be the two parties can quickly come to an agreement.
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“Given the scale of the impact the strike would have on thousands of citizens, we call on the union and RTC to reach an agreement as soon as possible!” wrote Emilie Frémont-Cloutier, the collective’s social animator, in an open letter , which was released Thursday morning.
This did not want to throw stones at either of the two main participants.
She reiterated that “both the RTC and the city have repeatedly demonstrated their sensitivity to the transportation needs of low-income people” by introducing social pricing.
At the same time, she expressed her support for the bus drivers.
“Through the balance of power they have established at both the local and national levels, they are the weight to defend the public and universal nature of this service,” she said.
Minister “disinvested”
On the other hand, Ms Frémont-Cloutier deplored the attitude of Labor Minister Jean Boulet, whom she described as “disinterested in the issue of public transport and its lack of funding to meet needs”.
The Collectif TRAAQ also described the most recent decision by the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) as a “judgment from another century”.
Administrative judge Pierre-Étienne Morand concluded that in the event of a strike, the RTC drivers’ union was under no obligation to provide essential services.
Irrespective of this, the management and the union (CSN) of the RTC drivers must take stock of the intensive negotiations on Thursday afternoon.
The strike notice for RTC drivers covers the period July 1-16, which falls during the Festival d’été de Québec. Drivers have been without a collective agreement since June 30, 2022.
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