(Québec) After a four-day strike that paralyzed all public transport in the capital, an agreement in principle was reached between the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) and the drivers’ union.
The negotiators of the two parties found common ground overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The RTC board of directors ratified the agreement on Wednesday morning. The 935 drivers are called to meet at 1 p.m. at the Center de Foires to vote on the agreement. This means that they have the fate of the conflict in their hands.
We do not yet know when the RTC bus service, which serves a population of 580,000 inhabitants, could resume if the union members were to ratify the agreement.
The Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ) is due to begin on Thursday. The City of Quebec has made no secret of the fact that it absolutely wanted to settle the conflict before the launch of the festivities. The organizers of the FEQ indicated that approximately 20,000 festival-goers usually use public transport each day during the event.
The Quebec Minister of Labor welcomed the agreement in principle on Wednesday.
The bus drivers, whose collective agreement had expired for a year, went on strike last Saturday with a mandate until July 16. Negotiations stumbled over the issue of wages. According to the mayor of Quebec, Bruno Marchand, the union demands exceeded the taxpayers’ ability to pay.
“We have to find a balance between our ability to pay […] and the ability to give drivers the salary they deserve,” said Bruno Marchand on Monday.
This drivers’ strike is unique insofar as they are not required to provide an essential service as in previous disputes. In the past, the Government of Quebec has adopted decrees ordering the maintenance of essential services in the event of a strike in public transport in Quebec, Montreal, Laval and Longueuil.
Changes made by the Legault government in 2019 mean that it is now the Administrative Labor Tribunal (TAT) which has the last word and must decide whether public transport is an essential service. He concluded on June 9 that bus drivers were not required to provide essential services.
The Réseau de transport de la Capitale announced on Wednesday that no comments will be issued before the parties have adopted the agreement in principle.