Hundreds gathered Monday on Parliament Hill for a demonstration against the transit strike. (CBC)Officials from Ottawa's striking transit union and the city will meet again Tuesday in an effort to end a strike that was in its 48th day Monday.

Randy Graham, international vice-president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, met informally with city staff Monday to review the city's new bargaining strategy, passed by city council over the weekend.

ATU local 279 represents about 2,300 striking transit drivers, dispatchers and maintenance staff for OC Transpo, the public transit company owned and run by the city.

Mayor Larry O'Brien said Sunday that the city's new position would be shared only with the union, not with the public. He would not say whether the city has softened its stance on its new scheduling proposal, the main issue of disagreement.

Federal Transport Minister John Baird said Monday that he was pleased to hear that the union and the city are back at the bargaining table.

He reiterated that the government feels a negotiated settlement is the quickest way to end the strike.

Baird said the city has approached the federal government about changes to federal rules concerning transportation safety. He did not specify what those changes were.

Concerns expressed

Federally regulated public transit services such as Ottawa's are not required to conform to the rules concerning federal safety standards for commercial drivers, including mandatory rest periods.

O'Brien has repeatedly expressed concerns about that situation.

He said Sunday that during contract negotiations, the city will will not back down on issues that affect "the safety of the citizens of Ottawa," referring to the city's proposal for a minimum of eight hours rest between shifts and a minimum of one day off every two weeks, along with a maximum work day of 13.5 hours to conform with federal safety standards for commercial vehicle drivers.

OC Transpo is also not required to conform with provincial rules concerning commercial vehicle drivers because some of its routes pass into Quebec, putting it under federal jurisdiction.

Baird said the federal government has agreed to look at the city's proposed changes.

"But these are not changes that could be made with the stroke of a pen in a few minutes," he said Monday, adding that such changes would usually take several months, and would take several weeks even if expedited.

Hundreds protest

People rolled their wheelchairs and pushed their walkers from city hall as part of a protest march against the strike. (CBC)While the union and the city met Monday, people with disabilities, their advocates and some senior religious leaders visited city hall to plead for an end to the strike.

Terrence Prendergast, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Ottawa, went as far as to call the strike an "act of aggression" by both sides against the people of Ottawa.

The protesters sided with neither the city nor the union, but accused both of stubbornness. One person carried a placard showing a drawing of two donkeys butting heads while a resident of Ottawa called for help from a snowbank.

On Monday morning, a parade of people using electric wheelchairs and walkers, along with supporters of people with disabilities, scooted, rode and marched from City Hall to Parliament Hill despite temperatures in the -20s.

Another group of protesters began a demonstration in front of the Parliament Buildings, gathering near the Centennial Flame and shouting, "End the strike now!" and "We want our buses!" toward legislators returning for the first day of the new parliamentary session.

Earlier, the leader of that protest had said he was only slightly optimistic about the day's meeting between city officials and representatives of the striking union.

"I mean, it's a small glimmer of hope, but I'm not counting on it," said Jonathan Dahan, whose protest aimed to send a message to the government.

"The strike hurts everybody," he said. "Not only does it hurt the bus drivers because they're not getting paid, but it also hurts the citizens because they can't get around or some of them aren't getting paid, either, because they can't get to work."

Dahan is calling for transit to be made an essential service.

No quick solution expected: drivers

Meanwhile, picketing transit workers Monday said they were hopeful about the talks, but are also not counting on a quick solution.

"I hope that something will start to come from this," said Blair Mayer from outside OC Transpo headquarters on St. Laurent Boulevard. "They're not going to solve it this afternoon — it's gone on too long."

Mayer, a bus driver with OC Transpo for 31 years, said about 75 per cent of bus drivers right now have less than five years' experience, and with the current dispute, management has missed an opportunity to establish a good relationship with a whole new generation of union members.

'These are not changes that could be made with the stroke of a pen in a few minutes.'— Transport Minister John Baird

"They had an opportunity here to make such incredible change," he said. "Change can be very positive.… It can be the best thing since sliced bread. But … you have to have the willingness to work with the people you're trying to impose the change to."

Other transit workers on the picket line said a media blackout has made it difficult to know what changes the city has made to its bargaining position and therefore to guess whether they will help resolve the strike.

One, who would give his name only as Marcel, said if the city's new scheduling proposal hasn't been taken off the table, he expects the strike to continue.

No plans for back-to-work legislation

Members of ATU 279 walked off the job on Dec. 10. On Jan. 8, transit union members voted 75 per cent against an offer issued by the city on Dec. 23. Afterward, both sides suggested limited arbitration, but have been unable to agree on the conditions.

This past Saturday, city council passed three motions to change its negotiating terms and invited transit workers back to the bargaining table.

A meeting was subsequently scheduled for Monday.

Federal Labour Minister Rona Ambrose confirmed last week that the federal government has no plans to legislate the transit workers back to work.

However, some transit workers could still be forced back to work by an order from the Canada Industrial Relations Board, if the board finds there is an immediate and serious danger to the health and safety of the public.

The board is currently reviewing submissions from the public, the city and the union. The city's solicitor told city council Wednesday that his own analysis had concluded that the strike posed no immediate and serious danger.