Arbitration board reaches decision on firefighters' contract

KITCHENER – An arbitration board has released its decision concerning a new collective agreement between the City of Kitchener and the Kitchener Professional Fire Fighters’ Association.

The parties’ previous collective agreement expired in 2004.

Salaries

The arbitration board has directed that the salary rates of the benchmark first- class fire fighter classification be increased as follows:

4.25 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2005
3.25 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2006
3.15 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2007
3.15 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2008

Recognition pay

Over the past few years, one of the major issues in both fire and police negotiations held in various municipalities has been retention pay.

The City of Kitchener and the Kitchener Professional Fire Fighters’ Association have traditionally compared with those in the Cambridge, Guelph and Waterloo fire departments, and with the Waterloo Regional Police Service.

As all four of those groups now have a three per cent, six per cent and nine per cent allowance, the arbitration board directed that retention, or “recognition” pay be implemented as follows:

Effective Jan. 1, 2006, an allowance of one per cent after eight years of service; two per cent after 17 years of service; and three per cent after 23 years of service
Effective Jan. 1, 2007, an allowance of two per cent after eight years of service; four per cent after 17 years of service; and six per cent after 23 years of service
Effective July 1, 2007, the full allowance of three per cent after eight years of service; six per cent after 17 years of service; and nine per cent after 23 years of service.

The arbitration board also ruled on other matters including benefit increases and changes.

The duration of the new collective agreement is four years, expiring Dec. 31, 2008.

“We are pleased to finally have received the award which was expected almost a year ago,” said Mayor Carl Zehr.

“I am disappointed but not surprised with the results, and I have asked staff to calculate the financial implications which will take some weeks to ascertain,” he added.

The city was unsuccessful in its attempt to have the sick-leave gratuity removed from the collective agreement; even though the sick-leave gratuity has been grandfathered out of all of the city’s agreements with its other employee groups.

That means Kitchener fire fighters will still be paid out a portion of the sick time credits they’ve accumulated upon termination or retirement.

The financial impact to the City regarding the arbitration board’s decision is expected to be presented to the city’s finance and corporate services committee in April.

Background

Conciliation between the City of Kitchener and the Kitchener Professional Fire Fighters’ Association took place on Sept. 28, 2005.

A mediation meeting was held on Nov. 28 2006, but was unsuccessful in achieving a resolution of the issues in dispute.

An arbitration hearing took place on March 5, 2007, with the parties making submissions both orally and in writing.