Tempers flared at Ottawa City Hall Wednesday as councillors sat down to discuss how to deal with a transit strike that has paralyzed the city for 36 days.
Much of the debate focused on comments Coun. Clive Doucet made when he broke ranks Tuesday, saying he blames the city for the transit stalemate.
"We're going to point out how dumb his comments look here," said Coun. Rainer Bloess.
Union members, however, are praising Doucet for speaking out. They say it proves council is not united when it comes to dealing with the transit strike.
"He has a public transit interest and maybe he's voicing the opinion of other councillors. I think it is an issue that has to come back to council," ATU vice president Randy Graham told CTV Ottawa.
"They were relying heavily on the fact that they could sneak a collective agreement through our members and divide them. That wasn't possible."
City council is now behind closed doors to discuss a strategy moving forward.
Although both sides have met with a federal mediator, no new talks are scheduled.
Union members voted 75 per cent in favour of rejecting the city's latest contract offer in a federally ordered vote last week.
More than 2,300 OC Transpo drivers, dispatchers and mechanics walked off the job Dec. 10, after working without a contract since April.
