The transit strike drags on. There was a transit users' "frustration protest" *Friday organized by the Transit Riders' Alliance, calling for the city to heed the union’s call for binding arbitration. If you watch CTV’s videos about the story, it looks like the protest consisted of maximum three people, but *actually included several bus stops throughout HRM—CTV visits two stops in the video. Sunday, there was little media play for the 2 p.m. rally at Grand Parade Square, in front of city hall (there were around 20 people there, one attendee says). We’d love to hear how that went (no media mentioned it, although when upset transit-users picketed the picketers on Feb. 13, there were stories in the press). If you look at the comment scores on a CBC article about city councillor David Hendsbee making a case for private buses to take the place of Metro Transit’s stopped service—a strikebreaking or ‘scab’ tactic—the anger is directed most forcefully at the union. Comments like “No, fire the drivers and hire new ones to drive the busses (sic) WE already own!” score 119 by user votes and “I am also someone who takes the bus every day - I apprecate (sic) these guys and gals.” get a -80. Also down-voted was a comment pointing out this union release of the salaries of Metro Transit managers: “there's about one manager for every eight union members, and spending on managerial salaries grew to $6 million from $3.5 million.”

Labour fights in other industries continue to receive coverage. Oland brewery workers voted on Sunday to accept a contract that isn’t significantly different from one they rejected on Friday and had set the brewery on course for a Labatt-led lockout. The contract would give workers a raise over six years that is less that projected cost-of-living increases, and makes them begin to pay into their own benefits. The contract is even better for the company than contracts at other Labatt breweries, says a company spokesperson.

And: do Nova Scotia’s judges have a union? Kinda. Also, don’t forget the “skirmishes” between Dalhousie faculty members and the University, and health workers and the district health authorities. Keeping labour conflicts in mind is one of the themes of an event this Wednesday at Just Us! coffee house, where this postal worker will speak about what the Canada Post lock-out has meant for working conditions locally.

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If you don’t hear much from local blog Haligonia today, it’s because their employees get a paid holiday today, even though Nova Scotia legislation hasn’t caught up with the other provinces where 60 percent of Canadians get today off. A few other local companies are following suit. The February holiday is Louis Riel Day in Manitoba, Islander Day on P.E.I. and Family Day in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. (Chronicle-Herald)

A man accused of running a brothel on the 2000 block of Robie Street has been charged with “procuring a person in Canada to become a prostitute.” A police search in Fredericton related to this case led to the arrests of seven people, including two minors.

City staff has recommended against the 150-metre Skye towers on Granville Street, the latest iteration of the rejected Twisted Sisters. The application to build the towers will go to council tomorrow.

CORRECTION Feb. 20: This sentence erroneously made it appear that two protest events Friday and Sunday had both occurred Sunday. It was also suggested that there was a single organizer for the bus stop protest Friday, but it was actually put on by the Transit Riders' Alliance, rather than Scott Gillard, as was originally reported. OpenFile Halifax regrets the error, and apologizes for any inconvenience.