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Transit talks to resume: Union
By Jake RupertDecember 18, 2008 4:01 PM
OTTAWA — For the first time since Ottawa's transit strike began, the city and the union representing its 2,300 transit workers are talking, and the union says formal negotiations will restart on Saturday.
Mayor Larry O’Brien met with the Amalgamated Transit Union national representative Randy Graham on Thursday, and they agreed to seek approval from their respective sides to restart negotiations — with no preconditions from either side.
The union went on strike Dec. 10 after talks broke down over a city demand to control scheduling and route assignment of drivers.
In a memo to city councillors, Mr. O’Brien said he and Mr. Graham decided they “needed to find some way to continue the negotiations.”
Mr. O’Brien cautioned that there is no movement on either side on the main issue.
“Nothing has been removed from the table, and we have not agreed on any process in advance,” he said.
Jim Haddad, secretary-treasurer of the union, said he expects the two sides will start meeting Saturday with a federal mediator in hopes of getting an agreement. He said the two sides have essentially agreed to put everything back on the table in order to find common ground and try to reach a package deal.
Bay Councillor Alex Cullen, who chairs city council's transit committee, said the development is “encouraging."
“It’s good news,” he said. “If you are at the table and listening and talking, it’s surprising how creative ways can be found to solve issues.”
The mayor's office is planning a press conference later Thursday afternoon to speak about the development.
Kanata South Councillor Peggy Feltmate said she'd been hoping for some time that both sides would soften their positions at least enough to get back to discussions.
"As long as they were just warring through the press, nothing was going to get solved," she said. "Although some of us feel very firmly about things like the scheduling, this has to be solved, so this is hopefully the start of that."
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
By Jake RupertDecember 18, 2008 4:01 PM
OTTAWA — For the first time since Ottawa's transit strike began, the city and the union representing its 2,300 transit workers are talking, and the union says formal negotiations will restart on Saturday.
Mayor Larry O’Brien met with the Amalgamated Transit Union national representative Randy Graham on Thursday, and they agreed to seek approval from their respective sides to restart negotiations — with no preconditions from either side.
The union went on strike Dec. 10 after talks broke down over a city demand to control scheduling and route assignment of drivers.
In a memo to city councillors, Mr. O’Brien said he and Mr. Graham decided they “needed to find some way to continue the negotiations.”
Mr. O’Brien cautioned that there is no movement on either side on the main issue.
“Nothing has been removed from the table, and we have not agreed on any process in advance,” he said.
Jim Haddad, secretary-treasurer of the union, said he expects the two sides will start meeting Saturday with a federal mediator in hopes of getting an agreement. He said the two sides have essentially agreed to put everything back on the table in order to find common ground and try to reach a package deal.
Bay Councillor Alex Cullen, who chairs city council's transit committee, said the development is “encouraging."
“It’s good news,” he said. “If you are at the table and listening and talking, it’s surprising how creative ways can be found to solve issues.”
The mayor's office is planning a press conference later Thursday afternoon to speak about the development.
Kanata South Councillor Peggy Feltmate said she'd been hoping for some time that both sides would soften their positions at least enough to get back to discussions.
"As long as they were just warring through the press, nothing was going to get solved," she said. "Although some of us feel very firmly about things like the scheduling, this has to be solved, so this is hopefully the start of that."
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
