Montreal’s public transit authority is seeking an injunction at Quebec’s labour tribunal to prevent unionized maintenance workers from walking off the job.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) said on Thursday an injunction would allow it to “protect its clients from a potential new illegal strike.”
The move comes after maintenance workers walked off the job in what the STM describes as an “illegal” strike early Thursday afternoon.
READ MORE: STM maintenance workers take to the streets over forced overtime
The STM-CSN, the union, said it didn’t call for workers to strike. It said employees were upset with comments made by the public transit authority’s director general during a televised interview with TVA.
“Management’s accusations have triggered widespread dissatisfaction in several STM garages and workshops,” the union said in a statement.
READ MORE: Montreal transit users told to brace for a strike
The STM and its maintenance workers have been at the bargaining table for months. Some 2,400 maintenance staff have been without a contract since January.
The main sticking points are forced overtime and scheduling.