Second one-day STO strike causes mayhem on commutes

CTV Ottawa: Second day-long STO bus strike Commuters fume as drivers stage the second day-long strike. Talks resume to end it. CTV's Matt Skube reports.

A second one-day strike by STO bus drivers and maintenance workers caused havoc on the roads.

For the second time in less than a week, the drivers and mechanics walked off the job in protest of stalled contract negotiations. No buses meant more cars on the major routes in Gatineau and the bridges to Ottawa, creating gridlock in many spots.

"This is ridiculous," says one driver.

"It's very, very long," says another. "I'm very late (for my) job."

Drivers and mechanics picketed outside STO headquarters Tuesday. An update on the STO website says representatives from both sides talked on Monday and discussions continued Tuesday. The union representing the workers did not respond to multiple calls from CTV.

Some frustrated drivers are calling for change.

"Public transportation is a necessity for everyone. It should not be shut off," says a driver stuck on the Portage bridge. "There's too many vehicles on the road...it's almost two hours we've been driving now. We live 20 minutes away."

Like the first one-day strike last Thursday, some people walked across the bridges to work.

"I'm actually going a lot faster than the traffic on this bridge," says one man who told CTV he walks to work once a week, but has had to do it both times the strike was on.

"It's a nice day, even if the rain is falling. I like it," says another walker.

Drivers and maintenance workers have been without a contract for more than two years. The union has said the job action would end if STO agreed to arbitration. STO says the union rejected their latest offer last week, which included a pay raise for drivers from $28.30/hour to $30.48.

The union says the one-day strikes are expected to continue into April if no agreement is reached. They said they'll provide 24 hours notice to commuters of when the strikes will take place.