A mediator was forced to file for arbitration after the Town of Cochrane and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 4819, were unable to settle on a new collective agreement.
Negotiations between the two parties has been ongoing for over 18 months, and though he does not believe that arbitration is a necessary step, local IAFF president Jared Wallace said the union will continue to work to find a reasonable settlement.
“In the (Cochrane Fire Fighters’) Association’s view there are well-established comparables across the province,” said Wallace. “If the town prefers to spend the time and money to have an arbitrator tell us what a settlement should look like, that certainly is their right to do so. In the Association’s view, it is an unnecessary and costly exercise, but we are prepared to go down that path if the town no longer wants to work together towards finding an agreement.”
The town, however, says they have worked hard over the past 18 months to come to an agreement that is fiscally responsible.
“Council would much prefer to have reached a negotiated settlement through mediation,” said communications manager Emily Cargan, “but after investing so much time in the negotiation process without having achieved any significant narrowing of the gap between the town and the union’s proposal, council has determined that arbitration is the best recourse.”
Cargan said both parties have made ‘genuine efforts’ to reach an agreement, and despite the failure, thus far, of that process, the town trusts that the formal process of arbitration will eventually find a fair middle ground. Cargan said that at this point, arbitration was a ‘compulsory’ part of the negotiating process. Wallace said the IAFF also wants to come to an agreement, and that they are willing to continue discussions with the town anytime they are willing to do so.
Neither the town or the IAFF would discuss further details regarding specific outstanding issues between what the town is offering and what the IAFF is seeking.
The 2013 draft budget indicates that the union’s demands would result in a 5.37 per cent property tax increase.
