Montrealers are facing ongoing disruptions to their public transit system as a strike by maintenance workers enters its third day. Approximately 2,400 employees walked off the job on Monday following over a year of stalled negotiations with the Montreal public transit authority.

The limited service, impacting both bus and metro lines, is currently only operating during peak morning and afternoon rush hours, and late at night. This has caused significant inconvenience for commuters across the city.

In a welcome development, Quebec’s Labour Minister, Jean Boulet, announced on Wednesday via social media the appointment of a mediator. The mediator’s role will be crucial in de-escalating the situation and facilitating constructive dialogue between the union and the transit authority. Minister Boulet specifically stated the mediator’s objective is to foster an environment conducive to productive negotiations.

This move follows Minister Boulet’s earlier plea on Tuesday for both parties to collaboratively seek mediation as a means to expedite a resolution and reach a mutually agreeable settlement. The city waits with bated breath to see if this intervention will lead to a swift end to the disruptive strike.