The union representing firefighters in Chatham-Kent (CK) believes the municipality is not taking its concerns with leadership seriously.
Earlier this week, Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Case and Assistant Chief Dan Parent were censured by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). This came after 97 per cent of members of the local IAFF chapter claimed they had no confidence in Case's leadership, with 99 per cent saying they had lost confidence in Parent.
The union explained that members have been concerned for years about inadequate training and equipment, specifically for swift-water rescues. It added that some members have faced retaliation from department leadership since an official complaint was made.
Michael Duben, CK's Chief Administrative Officer, released a statement shortly after the censure became public, claiming the municipality remains confident in the leadership of the CK Fire and Rescue Services.
He would go on to say that the union was making these issues public during labour negotiations.
"We are disappointed that the Professional Firefighters Association would choose to take this approach. We are currently engaged in collective agreement negotiations, and effective labour relations requires ongoing cooperation and communication between unions and employers," read Duben's statement.
It was this comment that drew the ire of union leadership. Fred Leblanc, the vice-president of the IAFF district that oversees all unionized firefighters in Ontario, released a statement of his own, calling out the municipality's labour comments.
"This conversation isn't about collective bargaining, wages or how many employees the union represents. Our Local 486 members respond to more than 70 per cent of emergency calls in Chatham-Kent. What matters is whether they have the proper training and equipment to safely respond to those calls and protect the public," read Leblanc's statement.
He agrees with Duben when it comes to having respectful and constructive dialogue, but he claimed that his members have been requesting the same from the municipality for years.
