The maintenance employees of the STM have approved a six-day strike mandate on Sunday, while remaining hopeful they will reach an agreement with their employer.

President of the transit union, Gleason Frenette, explained that the 2,400 workers he represents are particularly worried about the disappearance of work-family balance measures.

These maintenance workers, mechanics, electricians, plumbers and carpenters voted 98 per cent in favor of the walkout at a general meeting with a participation rate that the union described as "unrivaled."

After more than 30 meetings, negotiations are continuing and the union hopes that this strike mandate will result in a "change of tone."

Frenette argued that the STM had never been so "aggressive" in their requests.

The STM wants to impose mandatory overtime, Frenette said, even though maintenance employees completed almost 500,000 overtime hours last year.

"We do not understand, all our employees are dedicated," he said in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press. "Five hundred thousand hours is huge. It's been increasing year by year for more than 20 years."