Montreal bus driver strike: Transco wants third-party arbitrator

The union representing striking school bus drivers in Montreal is refusing to accept a third-party arbitration, the company at the heart of the matter said.

The Autobus Transco CSN union says it “fears the presence of a neutral arbitrator and instead tries to negotiate through the media.”

The company believes an arbitrator has until next week to end the three-and-a-half-month strike.

“As part of negotiations, the Union continues to create wage demands that are unviable for any school bus operator in Montreal,” Autobus Transco wrote in a news release Monday. “In recent days, the Union has spoken publicly to voice its demands and criticize Transco.

“Unfortunately, the Union refuses to take any substantive action on their baseless demands and refuses to make creative decisions that could resolve this strike, such as using an impartial judge.”

About 350 drivers working for Autobus Transco have been on strike since October 31, disrupting commutes for more than 15,000 students in Montreal.

Among the affected school boards are the English Montreal School Board, Lester B. There is Pearson School Board and Marguerite-Bourjois.

The problem is about salary. The Quebec government has provided additional financial assistance to school bus companies to help them improve wages, offset higher rents, increase insurance costs and electrify their bus fleets.

However, the two sides disagree on how much of the additional aid from Quebec should be paid to drivers.

Transco claims the union is misrepresenting the situation in making public statements.

“The words of the Union cannot contribute to the atmosphere of constructive negotiations.”