Lincoln McCardle
Our London
By Lincoln McCardle
Let me start by saying I know a few firefighters. I’m not boasting or anything as I suspect many of us do. Either a friend or a family member or a family member of a friend. Maybe I’m just lucky, but all the ones I know are amazing people. Friendly, kind and all-around good folks. Same actually goes for the few police officers I know. I admire first responders mainly because I know it’s a challenging job and they are willing to do the work that I, for the most part, am unwilling to do.
I was both surprised and concerned to learn recently our firefighters have been working without a contract since 2010.
That’s a long time.
This ongoing arbitration is the longest and costliest contract dispute of collective bargaining in Canadian fire sector history.
Perhaps less surprisingly, the main issue in dispute is wages, and on the heels of the city taking a hard line with police services over their budget, it appears all but certain the firefighters are in for much of the same.
The main concern I see it is the taxpaying public is in many ways torn between competing interests. Everyone loves firefighters, and I think most would agree less than a dollar per day seems to be a good value to keep our families safe. On the other hand, we all hate tax increases and hope and trust our elected politicians will do everything they can to avoid them.
Perhaps some may begrudge annual raises at a time many of us are denied them and with protective services making up a nearly one-third of the budget — well, you can perhaps understand why the city may feel they have to make an effort.
One can understand the London Professional Firefighters Association (LPFFA) frustratingly asking aloud who is in fact running the City of London.
I maintain the power city staff has is a serious and ongoing concern. I find it problematic it often appears the true power lies in a select few that were not democratically elected. Worst of all, unless I’m missing something (which is likely) it seems ultimately like a battle that cannot be won. Is it possible the whole futile exercise is leading up to a shrug and a, “Hey . . . at least we tried.”
To be fair, there’s no doubt we’ve been saving some money in the interim on potential wage increases. But have we been setting it aside in case it needs to be retroactively paid back? It seems like quite the budget bomb. We actually don’t know the answer — or anything else actually, because the city remains stubbornly silent on the matter.
Being open and honest about all city business demonstrates respect for both employees and citizens alike. The mayor and many councillors ran campaigns touting transparency and the idea of doors and minds being more open. The firefighters are only the latest of many claiming the city simply does not practice what it preaches.
I understand this is a legal matter and requires delicate handling, but I maintain it’s a conversation that deserves to happen in the public eye.
In fact, in a perfect world they all would.
Source: Our London | Fighting firefighters with fire
Lincoln McCardle
Our London
By Lincoln McCardle
Let me start by saying I know a few firefighters. I’m not boasting or anything as I suspect many of us do. Either a friend or a family member or a family member of a friend. Maybe I’m just lucky, but all the ones I know are amazing people. Friendly, kind and all-around good folks. Same actually goes for the few police officers I know. I admire first responders mainly because I know it’s a challenging job and they are willing to do the work that I, for the most part, am unwilling to do.
I was both surprised and concerned to learn recently our firefighters have been working without a contract since 2010.
That’s a long time.
This ongoing arbitration is the longest and costliest contract dispute of collective bargaining in Canadian fire sector history.
Perhaps less surprisingly, the main issue in dispute is wages, and on the heels of the city taking a hard line with police services over their budget, it appears all but certain the firefighters are in for much of the same.
The main concern I see it is the taxpaying public is in many ways torn between competing interests. Everyone loves firefighters, and I think most would agree less than a dollar per day seems to be a good value to keep our families safe. On the other hand, we all hate tax increases and hope and trust our elected politicians will do everything they can to avoid them.
Perhaps some may begrudge annual raises at a time many of us are denied them and with protective services making up a nearly one-third of the budget — well, you can perhaps understand why the city may feel they have to make an effort.
One can understand the London Professional Firefighters Association (LPFFA) frustratingly asking aloud who is in fact running the City of London.
I maintain the power city staff has is a serious and ongoing concern. I find it problematic it often appears the true power lies in a select few that were not democratically elected. Worst of all, unless I’m missing something (which is likely) it seems ultimately like a battle that cannot be won. Is it possible the whole futile exercise is leading up to a shrug and a, “Hey . . . at least we tried.”
To be fair, there’s no doubt we’ve been saving some money in the interim on potential wage increases. But have we been setting it aside in case it needs to be retroactively paid back? It seems like quite the budget bomb. We actually don’t know the answer — or anything else actually, because the city remains stubbornly silent on the matter.
Being open and honest about all city business demonstrates respect for both employees and citizens alike. The mayor and many councillors ran campaigns touting transparency and the idea of doors and minds being more open. The firefighters are only the latest of many claiming the city simply does not practice what it preaches.
I understand this is a legal matter and requires delicate handling, but I maintain it’s a conversation that deserves to happen in the public eye.
In fact, in a perfect world they all would.
Source: Our London | Fighting firefighters with fire
