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The transit union has been without a collective agreement for almost three years. Yakubowski said the two sides remain at odds over wages and pension, which he describes as “a huge outstanding issue.”

He did not rule out the possibility of a transit strike, but suggested it’s unlikely.

“We’ve been trying to achieve settlement with the least impact to the citizens of Saskatoon and, of course, all options are being considered,” he said. “But, at the same time, I’m standing firm on the position that we don’t want to impact the citizens of Saskatoon.”

Marno McInnes, the city’s director of human resources, said the two sides “are firmly trying to find a solution.

“It appears on the face of it to be a loggerhead, but sitting down and actually starting to talk about the details of options may help us find a solution,” he said.

When the city locked out transit workers on Sept. 20, 2014, the transit union argued the move was illegal because an unfair labour practice grievance it had filed against the city had never been resolved by the provincial labour relations board. Saskatchewan law forbids the issuing of strike or lockout notices if either party has business before the board.

The labour relations board sided with the union, ruling the lockout illegal and ordering the city to compensate the union for monetary losses from Sept. 20 to Oct. 3, when the unfair labour practice grievance was dealt with.

The lockout was not lifted until Oct. 20. The union argues it’s entitled to damages from Oct. 3 to Oct. 20, which Yakubowski estimates could be in the ballpark of another $650,000. The union will argue its case before the labour relations board in January.

The $650,000 to be paid out in February does not affect the city’s 2016 budget because money was set aside in 2014 for damages related to the illegal lockout.