NANAIMO – The City of Nanaimo and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 905 have ratified a new Collective Agreement covering the period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2019. The agreement includes wage increases of 2.5 percent each year which is the pattern for IAFF settlements established throughout the province.
“I would like to emphasize the speed by which this important document was agreed to. Bargaining is often a lengthy and complex process involving many rounds of negotiations. The parties who came together to prepare this agreement covered a tremendous amount of ground in a short period of time. Congratulations to everyone involved,” stated Mayor Bill McKay.
The City and its unionized firefighters had been conducting ongoing contract negotiations for the past few weeks.
“For the first time in many years, the Executive Board and membership of Nanaimo Professional Fire Fighters look forward to having a collective agreement that has been agreed upon prior to its expiry. Through respectful and meaningful negotiations, the parties were able to reach mutual agreement that will keep our compensation similar to comparable fire fighters in similar BC communities,” explained Mike Rispin the President of IAFF Local 905.
Key Points:
- The parties are pleased that an agreement could be achieved without the use of a mediator or interest arbitration.
- This is the first time since the mid-1990’s that the parties have reached agreement in advance of the existing collective agreement’s expiry date.
- This agreement will ensure predictable labor relations costs for the next four years, and the process through which the parties achieved it has enhanced existing relationships.