• November 10, 2025
• Passenger Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor

Société de transport de Montréal in Canada “is aiming to reach agreements with the unions for bus drivers and maintenance workers by Nov. 15, in order to put an end to the month-long strike,” CBC News reported Nov. 7. (Photograph Courtesy of STM)

Société de transport de Montréal (STM) in Canada seeks an end to the Metro and bus strikes. Also, Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will offer 24-hour rapid transit service to Midway Airport; Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) in North Carolina is providing mobile transit passes to community members with SNAP and WIC benefits; and the government of Canada’s Budget 2025 proposes a renewal of the Canada Strong Pass for the holiday season.

STM

STM “is aiming to reach agreements with the unions for bus drivers and maintenance workers by Nov. 15, in order to put an end to the month-long strike,” CBC News reported Nov. 7.

According to the media outlet, STM CEO Marie-Claude Léonard at a news conference “said that Montreal’s new mayor, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, wants all labour disputes [with both the maintenance workers’ union and the union representing bus drivers, Metro operators, and station agents] to be resolved by Nov. 15.”

Léonard, CBC News reported, “is asking organizations affected by the strike to write to the Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT), detailing the impact the lack of service has on them and plead the case for additional service.” TAT, it noted, “define[s] the level of service,” and is slated to hold a hearing Nov. 10, after which it “will issue its decision.”

Two separate strikes have taken place. “At 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, maintenance workers with the Syndicat du Transport de Montréal launched a month-long strike—its third strike in 2025,” CBC News reported. “Barring a last-minute deal, this would mark its longest strike this year, with the other two lasting 9 days in June and 14 days in September. The remaining sticking points include wage increases and outsourcing. The STM has reiterated on multiple occasions that it was in an unprecedented financial situation. Last Saturday [Nov. 1], the union representing bus drivers, Metro operators and station agents shut down all Metro and bus service, except adapted transit, as part of a 24-hour strike. This marked the union’s first strike in 38 years. But on Wednesday [Nov. 5] night, it sent the STM a strike notice for Nov. 15 and 16—which could be averted if there’s progress at the negotiation table. Negotiations with the bus drivers’ union are progressing according to Léonard and STM public affairs director Katherine Roux Groleau.”

According to the media outlet, a mediator “joined discussions with the drivers” on Nov. 3.

While STM officials “are hopeful” that a bus driver agreement can be reached by the Nov. 15 deadline, CBC News said, “negotiations with the maintenance workers’ union still prove to be a challenge.”

A mediator, it reported, “has asked the STM and the maintenance workers’ union to reconvene” Nov. 12.

“If the two parties are unable to find common ground by Nov. 15 while respecting the public transit’s financial framework, the STM will request arbitration, Roux Groleau said,” according to CBC News.

The Public Affairs Director “said that modernizing working conditions remains one of the sticking points of the discussions with maintenance workers,” CBC News reported. “But that isn’t the case for bus drivers.”

“They’re willing to work with us to find cost-saving measures to get to their desired framework and increase salaries and wages,” she said, according to the media outlet.

“Bruno Jeannotte, president of the Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN —the union representing the 2,400 STM maintenance workers on strike—said in a statement that the STM is waiting for arbitration and for the labour minister to apply Bill 89,” CBC News reported. “The law allows the government to maintain services that it considers important to the well-being of the population in the event of a strike or a lockout. But it only comes into effect on Nov. 30.”

“In the middle of a strike that is having major impacts, the STM continues to want to give us salaries well below those of comparable positions and to open the door wide to subcontracting,” Jeannotte’s statement said, according to CBC News.

CTA

(Photograph Courtesy of RTA)

Following Illinois lawmakers’ approval late last month of a $1.5 billion mass transit bill, CTA will provide 24-hour service on the Orange Line to Midway Airport, according to a spokesperson, CBS News in Chicago reported Nov. 7.

CTA, it reported, will also add up to 10 Frequent Bus Network routes and expand “vehicle and facility cleaning efforts.”

The bulk of the $1.5 billion in funding, $860 million, would come through “redirecting sales tax revenue charged on motor fuel purchases to public transportation operations,” according to Capitol News Illinois. Another estimated $200 million would come from “interest growing in the Road Fund—a state fund that is typically used for road construction projects but can also be used for transportation-related purposes under the state constitution.”

“[T]he Illinois State Legislature passed a bill that provides a transformational level of funding for the CTA,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said in a statement on Oct. 31. “As a result of this bill, CTA will be fully funded. This funding means that there will be no layoffs or service cuts. With these funds, we will expand our bus and rail service, invest in new technologies, and implement new strategies to support our riders and employees. Today, CTA’s workforce levels and service delivery rates are higher than they have been in years—and we stand ready to take on this historic investment and take CTA to even greater heights. As CTA’s acting president, leading the 11,400 employees who provide our riders with one million rides per day, I am incredibly thankful to our state legislative leaders, the Chicago Transit Board, the leadership of Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 241 and 308, transit advocates and others for their dedication to advocating for funding in Springfield over the last several years. I’ve had the privilege of working with many of these dedicated individuals during this process and have seen first-hand their commitment to securing a better, stronger financial future for our agency. CTA is excited for the bright future that lays ahead, and we extend our deepest appreciation to everyone who’s worked so hard to support public transit in the Chicago region.”

“The passage of SB2111 is a landmark moment for public transit in Illinois,” the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeastern Illinois said in an Oct. 31 statement. “This bill provides the stable funding and governance reforms needed to protect transit service for the millions who ride CTA, Metra, and Pace [Suburban Bus]—and the thousands of frontline workers who keep our region moving. Riders want transit that is safe, reliable, and frequent. This transformational investment of more than $1 billion in new operating funding lays the groundwork to improve service, shorten travel times, and enhance rider experience across the region. The bill also changes the region’s transit governance, transitioning the RTA to the NITA and creating new requirements to coordinate service, plan strategically, and better support riders. We are grateful to leaders including Governor JB Pritzker, Representative Eva-Dina Delgado, Representative Kam Buckner, and Senator Ram Villivalam for their commitment to this issue over the past several years. We also want to thank the tireless members of the advocate community, our labor partners, and especially riders, whose voices have ensured that transit will not only survive but thrive. We are continuing to review the bill and will share more in the days ahead, including how this impacts the 2026 budget process. But today marks a turning point: A commitment to the stronger, more seamless transit system the Chicago region deserves.”

“Illinoisans deserve a world-class transportation system that connects communities across regions, drives economic growth, and helps every resident—no matter where they live—access transit to live, work, and enjoy the state,” said Gov. Pritzker in an Oct. 31 statement. “I am grateful for the work by leaders in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly in taking steps to make this vision a reality. The legislation makes important changes to how Illinois operates and manages our transportation network, including investing in new capital projects that will make our public transit and tollways more modern, efficient, and reliable for riders. I am pleased the legislation also avoids new broad-based state taxes on Illinois working families. Instead, it directs existing state revenue streams to flow towards public transit systems while enabling independent bodies like the Regional Transportation Authority and Tollway Board to decide how to best meet their users’ needs. I want to thank Senator Villivalam and Representatives Delgado and Buckner for their leadership working on this legislation. I look forward to signing it into law and ensuring fiscal responsibility, fairness across the state’s transportation networks, and world-class transit that keeps Illinoisans moving forward.”

CATS

(Photograph Courtesy of CATS)

CATS will provide mobile transit passes to community members with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and WIC benefits that will be valid from Nov. 10 through the end of 2025, according to the transit agency, a department of the City of Charlotte that offers light rail (see Blue Line map below), streetcar (see Gold Line map below), bus, vanpool, microtransit, and paratransit services.

(Maps Courtesy of CATS)

To receive their passes, recipients must provide their EBT card or WIC voucher, a valid government-issued ID, and a Wi-Fi enabled mobile device (no cellular service is required), CATS reported Nov. 7. The transit passes are only available via the CATS-Pass app; no paper tickets will be issued, it noted.

“Reliable transportation is the foundation of opportunity,” CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle said. “CATS is happy to further support our community by providing transit access to riders with SNAP and WIC benefits, ensuring we continue to move people forward.”

In related news, Dallas (Tex.) Area Rapid Transit on Nov. 4 announced that recipients of SNAP who qualify for the DART Discount GoPass Tap Card will have their Tap Cards validated through Dec. 31, 2025. Those eligible for program renewal in November or December will automatically see their pass extended through the end of the year, according to the transit agency, which operates light rail, Silver Line regional rail, Trinity Railway Express regional rail, bus routes, GoLink on-demand service, and paratransit. A new proof of benefits card will not be required for using the Discount GoPass Tap Card, DART said.

Also, Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration on Oct. 17 announced it will be providing free MARC and Commuter Bus service to federal workers during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Government of Canada

The Department of Canadian Heritage on Nov. 8 reported that Budget 2025, which “proposes to provide funding to ensure Canada’s cultural and arts sectors are strong, resilient, and accessible to all Canadians,” includes C$116.3 million to renew the Canada Strong Pass, a Government of Canada initiative, for the holiday season (Dec. 12, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026) and for summer 2026. “This will provide families and young people free or discounted access to national parks, museums, galleries, and rail travel,” according to the Department.

VIA Rail Map (Courtesy of VIA Rail)

VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) this fall reported that between June 20 and Sept. 2, more than 50,000 Canadians took advantage of the Canada Strong Pass program, which offers free travel for children and teens age 17 and under traveling with an adult, and discounted fares for youth age 18 to 24. According to the national passenger railroad, more than C$6.6 million was saved by Canadians thanks to the Pass.

This summer, over 50,000 Canadians travelled more than 43 million km by train thanks to the Canada Strong Pass🍁

Whether you were chasing sunsets or visiting museums, your journey was part of something bigger.

Thank you for riding with us💛 pic.twitter.com/tYzLxtfXUt

— VIA Rail Canada (@VIA_Rail) September 3, 2025

“Through the Canada Strong Pass, we helped Canadians reconnect with their country, their communities, and each other safely, comfortably, and sustainably,” said Mario Péloquin, President and CEO of VIA Rail. “It was more than just a discount; it was an invitation to explore and learn more about VIA Rail’s services. I also want to thank our dedicated VIA Rail teams who, as always, welcomed passengers with warmth and ensured an exceptional travel experience throughout the busy summer months.”

Tags: Breaking News, CATS, Charlotte Area Transit System, Chicago Transit Authority, CTA, Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada, Metra, Pace, Pace Suburban Bus, Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois, RTA, Société de transport de Montréal, STM, VIA Rail, VIA Rail Canada