Transit talks in Ottawa continue under news blackout
Last Updated: Sunday, December 21, 2008 | 6:27 PM ET
The Canadian Press
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Negotiators for the City of Ottawa and striking transit workers huddled with a federal mediator for a second straight day Sunday, but there was no word on whether they were any closer to a settlement.
A news blackout has been in place since talks resumed Saturday in an effort to resolve a contract dispute that has crippled bus service in the nation's capital since Dec. 10.
City spokesman Michael Fitzpatrick said the understanding, when the two sides returned to negotiations, was that everything would be on the table.
That includes changes to the work schedules for bus drivers that the Amalgamated Transit Union considers to be at the heart of the dispute.
Local businesses and transit riders demanded for a return to the table after 10 days without bus service during the peak holiday shopping period.
Dozens of Facebook sites complaining about the strike have popped up, with thousands of local residents criticizing both the city and the union, representing 2,300 drivers and other workers.
Mayor Larry O'Brien said before talks resumed that he wanted the system running again, "but not at any cost."
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