STM maintenance workers to begin refusing overtime starting Saturday

Maintenance employees of Montreal's transportation authority (STM) will begin a month-long overtime strike Saturday and that strike is expected to slow bus services across the network.

Unionized employees will refuse to perform tasks outside of their usual 40 hours per week until Sept. 16, according to an announcement posted to the STM's website Thursday. Those employees include mechanics, electricians, cleaners and more.

Consequences of the strike should mainly be felt on the bus network on "certain" bus routes, the website states. The site does not specify which routes will be affected.

"We expect the impact to be felt as the weeks go by, given the backlog of work to be done on vehicles during the upcoming peak period (late summer and fall), when the transit system is in high demand," the STM stated.

A similar strike was held in May. During that time, more than 500 hours of bus service was cut.

On Wednesday, the STM asked for the intervention of a government mediator to resolve the stalemate in their ongoing labour dispute.

Along with contesting overtime hours, the union is concerned about outsourcing internal tasks to private firms. The union criticizes the STM for wanting to "move workers to atypical work schedules and privatize jobs.

Instead, the union is asking for new hires to help overworked employees.