Partisan appointments at the STM and prolonged strike: Projet Montréal demands explanations and reaffirms the importance of independent governance
Montreal, December 11, 2025 — Projet Montréal, the Official Opposition at Montreal City Hall, expresses serious concerns about recent decisions made by the Ensemble Montréal administration regarding the Société de transport de Montréal (STM). On the one hand, Ms. Martinez Ferrada's administration has made partisan appointments to the STM's board of directors, weakening the independence of a body that is crucial to mobility. On the other hand, despite the mayor's initial assurances that the labor dispute would be resolved quickly, the maintenance workers' strike continues, leaving several questions unanswered.
A prolonged strike despite the mayor's commitments
When she took office, Ms. Martinez Ferrada stated that resolving the labor dispute at the STM was her priority, going so far as to request a personal meeting with the stakeholders and announcing a tight deadline for reaching an agreement. However, the support staff strike resumed on December 10 and will continue until January 10, resulting in a major reduction in bus service during off-peak hours.
This situation particularly affects Montrealers living in neighborhoods that are less well served by the metro, for whom the bus is an essential service—even more so in winter and during the holidays. The Official Opposition would like to obtain clear information on the status of negotiations and the steps being taken to restore service as soon as possible.
Partisan appointments weaken the STM's governance
The new STM board of directors, appointed by the new administration, now gives Ensemble Montréal direct control over the authority's decisions. In doing so, the administration has chosen to deviate from the reforms put in place to ensure a cross-party composition of the board, notably through positions open to the public and independent experts. This reconfiguration also sidelines a recognized academic expert in mobility in favor of a disappointed Ensemble Montréal candidate. For the Official Opposition, these choices raise concerns about the place given to expertise, political neutrality, and the primacy of the public interest in the governance of the STM.
The Opposition also points out that the documentation relating to these appointments was only made available 90 minutes before the November 24 City Council meeting, significantly reducing the ability of elected officials to adequately analyze the files.
Request for a new appointment process
For all these reasons, the Official Opposition will table a motion before City Council denouncing these practices and calling for a return to a non-partisan appointment process, including a public call for user representatives, as well as the study of guidelines to regulate the appointment of non-elected candidates to City-related bodies within 365 days of an election.
"The STM is a crucial pillar of Montreal's mobility and a lifeline for many of us. The mayor has raised expectations regarding the resolution of the strike, and we are here to demand results for the good of Montrealers. " — Ericka Alneus, Leader of the Official Opposition
"The STM belongs to everyone and is an essential pillar of our mobility. That's why we need independent expertise and voices around the table, not just those close to the administration. Partisan appointments that give a political majority while sidelining experts do not serve public transit users. Montrealers must be able to trust the decisions made by their transit agency—and that trust is based on integrity, competence, transparency, but above all, on the independence of the Board of Directors." — François Limoges, Mayor of Rosemont–La-Petite-Patrie and Official Opposition spokesperson for ethics and governance.
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Source :
Ezra De Muns
Official Opposition Press Officer
