On late Tuesday afternoon, the union of bus drivers working for Autobus Fleur de Lys, the private company providing public transit in Shawinigan, filed a strike notice. Starting at midnight on Sunday, November 16, the employees will resume an indefinite strike, which they started on June 19 and paused on July 16 to facilitate negotiations.
The labour dispute is restarting after a vote held during a local membership meeting on November 9. Members overwhelmingly rejected a settlement proposal submitted by a conciliator from the Ministère du Travail.
Shawinigan transit workers have been without a contract since October 2024. Their working conditions are precarious, they have some of the lowest wages in the sector and have to drive a fleet of vehicles whose condition is concerning for their own health and safety, as well as the public’s.
“We hope that this strike will be as short as possible and that we can reach an agreement very quickly,” said Simon Bégin, president of CUPE 5564. “The strike is a last resort for us to obtain conditions that will allow us to live and work decently.”
The union will not be making any further comments in the immediate future, in order to prioritize negotiations and potentially avoid a strike.