With the transit strike fully into week two, there’s not a lot of movement from either side, especially First Canada.
With the public growing increasingly impatient, the idea of binding arbitration is starting to become more and more realistic.
“We will accept anything that would get the company back to the table to deal with us fairly,” says Scott Lovell, President of Local 1722 of the Amalgamated Transit Union. "If arbitration is one of those things, I don’t have an issue with that.”
At this point, it would have to be binding arbitration as well, since the two sides already tried mediation and it was unsuccessful.
According to Lovell, the other option for the city and BC Transit, which he admits is very extreme, is to remove First Canada entirely and take over transit operations themselves.
Mayor Colin Basran couldn’t be reached for comment this afternoon but Coun. Luke Stack told KelownaNow that he personally supports binding arbitration, but the city maintains the same stance they’ve had since the beginning.
That stance is that this battle lies between First Canada and the union, Local 1722.
First Canada couldn't be reached for comment again this afternoon.
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Transit strike day 7: First Canada terminates union's benefits
Transit strike day 6: No talks since Wednesday
