The head of OC Transpo hopes a deal with striking workers can be reached before Christmas to minimize Ottawa's traffic chaos.

Alain Mercier doesn't think the walkout will end soon but wants buses running within the next 10 days. He and Mayor Larry O'Brien have sent a letter to the Amalgamated Transit Union, urging leaders to put the latest contract offer to a vote.

"We've asked the executive to ensure that the membership has a right to look at the offer in detail,and to actually exercise their vote," Mercier said.

O'Brien posted a note to union members on his personal website Sunday, saying: "Nobody seems to want this strike and I can assure you that Council wants it to come to an end as soon as possible and we urge the union to allow the members to vote on our offer."

The OC Transpo letter to union president Andr� Cornellier repeated management's scheduling proposals and a promise to maintain seniority in booking shifts. Mercier said the plan would give drivers more consistent work schedules and more rest between trips.

Drivers, mechanics, and dispatchers walked off the job Wednesday morning after working without a contract since April. Scheduling remains the major sticking point.

But there's been no movement this weekend. Meantime, some of Ottawa's most vulnerable citizens continue to look for alternative modes of transport.

Melissa Cunningham and Amanda Manuel, two young women with intellectual disabilities, have lost their independence to live and work alone because of the transit strike.

"My hands are tied if my Dad can't take me, I sit here all day or do nothing," Manuel told CTV Ottawa on Sunday.

Keenan Wellar, the CEO of Live, Work, Play, an organization supporting people in Ottawa with intellectual disabilities, said many people already living below the poverty line now risk losing their jobs, income, and homes.

The strike has garnered a major Internet response on various social networking sites. One Facebook group of transit users has grown to about 800 people, many of whom are vowing to protest in front of union picket lines on Thursday.

Tough commute expected Monday morning

The strike, combined with expected bad weather and commuter traffic, will likely make Monday morning a challenging one for drivers.

Freezing rain mixed with snow and ice pellets is expected Sunday night from Smiths Falls to Ottawa and Gatineau. More rain and snow has been predicted for early Monday.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Natalie Pierosara