Where is Saanich?

Writing about the lockout , Jack Knox of the Times Colonist has a library joke for us:

"A guy goes up to the front desk at the library, bellows "I'D LIKE A BIG MAC, SMALL FRIES, MEDIUM COKE!"

"But this is a library," the woman behind the desk replies.

"Sorry," the guy says, then whispers "I'd like a Big Mac, small fries."

He also has a few not-so-funny things to say that, maybe, you didn't know:

• The Chair of the GVLRA, that mysterious association that is negotiating for the municipalities is the mayor of North Saanich, Ted Daly. And North Saanich is not part part of the GVPL system.
• Saanich has four branch libraries in the GVPL, and by far the largest population of any municipality in the GVPL, but is not represented in the GVLRA. No representatives? Not a one.
• The GVLRA is tiny, mainly one negotiator. Its main job is to bring the librarians to their knees. While the GLVRA is doing this, the combined GVPL municipalities are saving an estimated $20,000 per day, or $560,000 per month, $6,700,000 per year in unpaid wages. The estimated annual financial losses from the librarian's job action is about $500,000 per year, according to Chris Graham, GVPL Chairman.

Not surprisingly the GVLRA is now talking about throwing out years of study on how to pay the librarians fairly and according to an agreement signed off on by both the librarians and the GVPL, and is looking to compare their salaries to other librarians.

Jack Knox sees this as a "sliver of light in the lockout..." I beg to disagree. Where are our municipal politicians? Let's send the parties to binding arbitration and get this mess over with.