Undisclosed Garage Productivity Levels of STM Maintained as Confidential Information
Revised Article:
Montreal's transit workers' strike has the spotlight, but the organization shrouds its garage productivity reports in secrecy. These facilities have been probed multiple times by the STM's general auditor, Tien Can, in recent years. The STM remains tight-lipped on the report's content, with two-thirds of the 144 pages shared with La Presse following a freedom of information request, appearing blacked out. The rest is rendered unintelligible by censorship.
"These reports offer suggestions that we're acting upon," explains Justine Lord-Dufour of the STM via email to La Presse. "Disclosing the reports could interfere with implementing these suggestions or even the sources behind the report."
The STM acknowledges productivity problems may pop up in any business, but they're taking measures to address them. In contrast, the Syndicat du transport de Montréal argues, "We're baffled by the STM's lack of transparency."
The union is invested in maintaining the metro and buses and hopes to contribute to enhancing the STM's overall infrastructure. They suspect underlying management deficiencies regarding time, planning, and supervision, exacerbating issues on the ground for maintenance workers, marked by increased pressure, unfair recognition, and inconsistent management.
Hidden Tensions
The initial La Presse request for information dates back to 2024's summer.
Looking at the portions of information not censored by the STM, we see that there are "significant disparities" between prescribed maintenance task times and the actual time allocated for these tasks, as stated in a 2020 report. Moreover, the general auditor's teams discovered "signs of a toxic culture" within the garages, but photos corroborating this finding have also been blacked out.
The STM chooses to make public the "positive aspects" noted by its auditor, but it selectively censors the negatives.
The STM general auditor post calls for a five-year term with the possibility of renewal. They can earn up to $262,920 per year.
Denial of Systemic Issues
Maintenance Director Marie-Chantal Verrier of the STM downplays the existence of systemic productivity issues in the garages in an interview with La Presse. "We have isolated problems where management may need improvement. It is the responsibility of my managers to ensure the workers on the ground perform their duties effectively."
Verrier also notes that the performance audit commissioned by the Minister of Transport last year shows strong parity between the STM and its peers in terms of productivity. The report, however, highlights that a vast number of buses have been immobilized for maintenance, with about a third of the fleet in 2022 and a quarter in 2024.
Data from 2023 and 2024 reveals that the work environment has deteriorated to the point of escalating to physical altercations amongst maintenance workers. Sometimes, law enforcement and paramedics had to intervene. The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) cautioned the transport company to restore order in its facilities and warned of potential fines if left unattended.
"The situation has greatly improved," affirms Verrier. "We're taking swift, targeted actions on the ground to nip troubles in the bud."
- The unredacted portions of the STM's reports show "significant disparities" between prescribed maintenance task times and the actual time allocated for these tasks, as revealed in a 2020 report.
- The STM's General Auditor's post comes with a potential annual salary of up to $262,920, and their term can be renewed for five years.
- Despite the STM's claims, the maintenance Director, Marie-Chantal Verrier, acknowledged that a vast number of buses have been immobilized for maintenance, with about a third of the fleet in 2022 and a quarter in 2024.
- The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) warned the transport company to restore order in its facilities due to the deterioration of the work environment, which has escalated to physical altercations amongst maintenance workers, sometimes requiring intervention from law enforcement and paramedics.
