Social media users may have noticed Facebook and Twitter posts Feb. 18 by Rocky View County Fire Services notifying followers that both accounts would be inactive until further notice “due to direction from management.”
While many Facebook followers commented that the post looked like a muzzling tactic by Rocky View County (RVC), a representative for the county’s firefighter union said it’s actually a sign of improving relations between RVC and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
“It’s not fair to say the county was heavy-handed or mean-spirited in any way here, while I might not have always said that in the past,” said IAFF 6th District vice-president Lorne West.
He said the county’s fire union operates under the name Rocky View County Fire Fighters on Facebook and Twitter because they “wanted to get away from union logos, union acronyms and unionism terms as much as possible, and be reflected as firefighters and people of the county.”
But since both social media accounts use county logos, RVC manager of communications Grant Kaiser said it could be confusing for people as to what is union information and what is county information.
“RVC has asked that the fire union use its Facebook and Twitter accounts to represent the union, and not to present information that could be confused as official communication from Rocky View County Fire Services,” stated Kaiser.
“The union can certainly have a Facebook and Twitter account – we’re simply asking that it not be one that can be confused with the county’s fire department,” Kaiser added.
West said since RVC’s new fire chief, Randy Smith, joined the county in January, there has been discussions surrounding what “appropriate messages coming from the account should be.”
“They asked if we wouldn’t mind taking a pause and meet with county staff and IT staff to come up with an acceptable message, and we agreed to that. The fire union has gone out of its way time and time again to show good faith and good will, and this is another way to show that,” said West, adding the “pause (in Twitter and Facebook activity) is very temporary.”
In an effort to be convenient, West said one union member has been managing the social media accounts.
He said it’s important to continue to have that avenue to communicate with the public and with its internal members.
“It gives our members a sense of confidence that we’re continuing to do something to defend our interests,” he said about posts on the accounts updating union members where the IAFF stands in its negotiations with the county.
He said the union and RVC has had a tumultuous relationship over the past two years through renegotiations for a new contract and a bargaining-in-bad-faith case filed against the county for laying off seven full-time firefighters and one chief fire marshal in February 2012.
West said after collaborating with the county, he expects the accounts to be active again within the next week.
