By Lasia Kretzel

Saskatoon must rebuild transit trust, leadership says policy expert

Oct 20, 2014 | 6:24 AM

Saskatoon buses might be back, but the effects of the transit lockout are still rippling through city hall, according to a policy expert.

On Saturday night, Mayor Don Atchison announced an end to the second lockout notice and a return of buses to city streets on Monday. He also announced residents could ride transit without paying fare until the end of the month.

On Friday, the first lockout was ruled illegal by the Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board.

William Scott Centre think tank director Cole Hogan said one lockout and a back peddling on a second lockout notice has negatively impacted the city’s reputation and position at the bargaining table.

“City councillors weren’t necessarily available for comment during the whole process and only now that things have been resolved we’re hearing from them so I think it definitely does demonstrate a lack of leadership and a trend of ineffectiveness at city hall,” Hogan said.

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He said the perceived lack of leadership doesn’t put the city “in the strongest position” during ongoing contract negotiations either.

Due to Saskatoon’s low transit ridership – at four percent of the population – Hogan doesn’t think the lockout will be a deciding factor in the 2016 municipal elections.

“It’s not any one thing that sinks a sitting city councillor or mayor, MLA or MP. It’s small dribs and drabs of negative stories and mismanagement of government policy that slowly sinks these people,” Hogan said, adding, however, that the perceived lack of leadership will influence residents’ opinions of all of city hall’s actions.

Now that buses are back on the street, Hogan said the best course of action for the city is to demonstrate leadership beyond just communicating with residents.

He points to extending transit transfers as one possible way to demonstrate that leadership.

Hogan said the verbal agreement between the city and Amalgamated Transit Union local 615 to no more labour action should help calm the ongoing contract negotiations.

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