Christmas certainly came early for Yorkton firefighters and an arbitration tribunal was Santa Claus.
The arbitration award was accepted by Yorkton Council at its regular meeting Monday, and it is a decision which by the third year of the three-year deal will cost the City more than a quarter of a million dollars more than had been budgeted.
The City of Yorkton administration and the IAFF Local 1527 entered into Collective Bargaining Unit (CBU) negotiations in April of 2013 after the expiration of the current contract on December 31, 2012. Negotiations continued throughout the year 2013 with most items agreed upon by both the union and the City. However, both parties became deadlocked on the matter of wages, explained Chris Wentzell, Director of Human Resources with the City.
Through negotiations the City had proposed a wage increase of 3.5 per cent in both 2013 and 2014, with three per cent in 2015.
The firefighters union was seeking 7.5 per cent in each year of the three-year deal.
“Based on the fact that both sides came to an impasse regarding wages the Firefighters union filed for Interest Arbitration. The hearing took place on October 16, 2014 in Yorkton. Both sides presented their cases with the City’s legal counsel presenting the revised legislation for consideration for such awards,” said Wentzell.
Wentzell said the arbitration award which was received Dec. 3, set the deal at six per cent in 2013 and 2014, and 6.1 per cent in 2015.
“Although the text provided by the Chair of the Arbitration Board indicated in his ruling that he did acknowledge the change in legislation the final decision was based more on City to City comparators which has been the basis for past arbitration awards in the province of Saskatchewan,” said Wentzell.
Councillor Ross Fisher said the deal is worrisome as it will create disparities within the City staff in terms of wages. He said when “one department within the city is disproportionate to everything else that happens in the city” it is worrisome.
A report circulated to Council detailed that a First Class Firefighter in 2013 will earn $71,675 including base salary and stat holiday pay. That will increase to $76,019 in 2014, and rise to $80,709 in 2015.
A Level II Captain will be at $86,118 in 2013, $91,602 in 2014, and $96,851 in 2015.
The financial impact to the City’s budgets are significant, said Wentzell, when looking at the variance based on the dollars offered initially by the City compared to the arbitration settlement.
Over the three years of the deal the actual over budget will be $259,772 detailed the report.
“There are no options as the City is required to accept the arbitration award,” reminded Wentzell.
The recommendation from Administration to Council, which was unanimously passed stated “That Council request administration to explore options to reduce future costs of the Fire Department and bring these forward to a Strategic Planning Meeting in 2015.”
Fisher said following the settlement the City must look “at how we can address reducing our costs.
Fisher said nationally the “costs of firefighters are becoming unaffordable,” for municipalities.
Coun. Chris Wyatt said when they do begin to look at how to reduce costs, the report needs to look at cities such as Lloydminster and Estevan which utilize auxiliary firefighters. He said as it is $1.9 million annually for 16 firefighters is becoming a burden on the City’s finances.
Mayor Bob Maloney said arbitration always favours firefighters. He said he has sat through three arbitrations, adding “the arguments don’t change, and the results don’t change either.”
As for the settlement, Maloney said it was obviously high. He said most people across Canada are seeing one or two per cent a year, and a rare few three per cent.
“Six (per cent) is off the scale,” he said, adding “looking at six, six, 6.1, it’s broken the scale.”
