Firefighters strike tentative agreement

Kelowna Daily Courier: 2011-07-28
Kelowna‘s unionized firefighters would have their pension plan enhanced under a proposed new contract.  A tentative agreement has been struck between negotiators for the City of Kelowna and the International Association of Firefighters Local 953.  "We‘ve got a deal with them," Stu Leatherdale, the city‘s human resource directors, said Wednesday.  Areas in which agreements have been reached include contract language provisions granting greater flexibility in the staffing schedules at various firehalls.  "That will represent a significant cost saving for the city," Leatherdale said.  In return, the city has agreed to improve the firefighters pension plan, to match that provided to police and firefighters in other parts of the province.  Currently, Kelowna firefighters have a pension plan equivalent to other City of Kelowna municipal employees.  While there is the framework of an agreement, the key issue of wages is still unresolved.  That‘s because wages for Kelowna firefighters are automatically linked to those paid to their counterparts in the Lower Mainland.  "The salary increase for Kelowna‘s firefighters will be the same as what the majority of Lower Mainland municipalities end up paying their firefighters in terms of an increase," Leatherdale said.  Although most of the contracts expired last year, talks are still ongoing between firefighters‘ unions and municipal representatives in the Lower Mainland. Arbitration may be needed in some cases to reach a new collective agreement.  The last contract between the City of Kelowna and its firefighters ran from January 2008 to March 31, 2010. It provided for a wage increase of 10 per cent over the 27-month life of the contract.  According to city employee salary information released in late June, Kelowna firefighters identified as having 10 years of service earned an average of $89,000 last year.