The return to school long-awaited by thousands of parents is being disrupted on the island of Montreal by an ongoing strike among Transco bus drivers.
The approximately 350 Transco Montréal bus drivers, who have been on an indefinite strike since October 31, want to use Tuesday's return to class to reiterate their demands. Unionized workers will make their voices heard by taking part in a picket line outside the offices of the Montreal School Service Center starting at 10:30 a.m.
Drivers typically transport around 15,000 students on the island of Montreal. Their strike is disrupting school transportation in the facilities of the four school organizations in the metropolis, namely the Montreal and Marguerite-Bourgeoys school service centers and the English-Montreal and Lester-B.-Pearson school boards.
The workers represented by the CSN are demanding salary increases, which they say can be financed by contract improvements granted to school transport companies by the government of François Legault. In the case of Transco Montréal, this is an improvement of about 25% achieved in 2021-2022, the union recalled.
About 99% of unionized workers voted in favor of an indefinite strike on October 18.