It could be 2016 before Burnaby firefighters get a new contract, and that’s only if the city and union can agree on an arbitrator.
It’s been nearly four months since the City of Burnaby and the International Association of Firefighters Local 323, which represents 281 firefighters in Burnaby, met for mediation, and since then there has been minimal movement towards a new contract.
In fact, both parties are still trying to agree on an arbitrator.
“It’s kind of hard to decide when they keep throwing back the same name to us. We’ve offered four and they offered three, and then we said no to the three and then they offered one of the three back again to us,” said Rob Lamoureux, president of Local 323.
Lamoureux said the union’s top choice is well-known arbitrator Vince Ready, who recently negotiated a deal for firefighters in Prince George, but because he’s so in-demand it’s unlikely he would be available before the new year.
Lambert Chu, deputy city manager and liaison for the Burnaby Fire Department, is hoping, however, to get the process moving as soon as possible.
“We’re trying to find an arbitrator that has a fairly open schedule to allow us to get a quick appointment so that the case can be heard,” Chu said.
At this point, however, Lamoureux said he and the firefighters are willing to wait for the right arbitrator, especially since they’ve been waiting more than three years for a new contract.
“We’ve waited so long we want to make sure we get the right arbitrator,” Lamoureux said. “I don’t want to take our chances and roll the dice with anybody. Another six months, it’s no big deal now, we’re already three years in.”
The NOW asked Chu if anyone on council or the mayor was trying to drag this process out, considering how long it’s taken so far, but he was adamant that council and the mayor aren’t involved in the negotiations.
“This is done right at the staff level. This contract negotiation is carried out through the city manager’s office and a representative from the fire union, and we basically keep our council informed of the progress but the council isn’t involved in any negotiation,” Chu said.
Lamoureux doesn’t buy that.
“I would disagree. I can’t believe that,” he said. “I can’t believe that this is being … controlled by the city manager’s office.
“You look at common sense and you look at what’s gone on in the whole region. We’re at 22 locals – two arbitrated and 20 negotiated – nothing has changed. We’re not going to get a penny more, and we’re not going to take a penny less. We’ve offered to just sign a four-year deal on terms and wages and just continue talking for the next four years, and the city turned us down.”
The terms and wages deal offered would see a 2.5 per cent wage increase over four years, and would ultimately give the city and union more time to bargain for a new deal.
In the meantime, firefighters in Burnaby continue to work without a contract.
Lamoureux has asked Chu to put forward some additional choices for arbitrators this week. If they can find someone they both want, then hopefully the process can move forward, something Chu is optimistic will happen sooner rather than later.
“As soon as we can get an arbitrator confirmed, then we’ll have a more definitive idea of the schedule he or she may be available,” Chu said.
The NOW made repeated attempts to speak with Mayor Derek Corrigan about this issue but did not hear back.
