Fainstat was elected to Montreal's city council in 1974 against
Civic incumbent James Bellin with 17 other RCM candidates, and represented the district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. He was the only RCM candidate to win a seat in 1978. He was re-elected in the district of La-Confédération in 1982 and 1986. ==Chairman of the executive committee==