Very glad to hear it’s finally done.Firefighters Rock!

“The exact budget implications, if any, are not yet known.”

Since fire protection is one of the City’s biggest budget items, it sounds like the implications won’t be insignificant. I’d love to see what kinds of real numbers are atteched to these perecentages.

* ‘attached to these percentages’.

Wow, way to hold the line mayor Hall. You give the other city workers nothing and load up on the firefighters?? How are you going to pay for this. I guess I will see another raise to my taxes this year. Maybe the mayor and council should take a hit to pay for it.
I guess all that union money that paid for the mayors seat was well spent.

Jsmith, was hall on the negotiating committee for city workers contract? If the firefighters always follow vancouvers lead how did ” union money” impact this if it what was done before ? Also this contract expired in 2010, don’t think hall was mayor then…lol

Almost 16% over six years??? Rather steep… It’s good they been putting money away for it to cover the retro… but the future???

I think it’s hard to compare oneself to Vancouver, where they get more calls than PG

Pval, the contract was just negotiated, did you not read the story? Yes it expired in 2010 (our mayor was a city councilman then as well), but the contract was just negotiated over the last few weeks. Do you seriously think the mayor was not directly involved after just firing the city manager?
As far as following vancouvers lead for he raise…15.5% seriously? If someone jumps off a bridge are you going to follow PVal? You may want to check your “lol” and give your head a shake.

Calculating the increase shows that every $1.00 paid at the start of the contract would increase to $1.1625 by the end of the contract. That’s more than 16% in less than 6 years, the term of the contract!

So, we have many firefighters that are already earning over $100,000.00 per year. By the end of this contract, that figure will exceed $116,000.00!

Our local firefighters have negotiated wage parity with lower mainland firefighters, without the lower mainland cost of living. Pretty hard for anyone to suggest that our firefighters are underpaid!

The thing that bothers me the most about the firefighters contracts is that apparently some time ago, they negotiated a 3 day compressed work week. This was done as their Union argued that by having a compressed 3 day workweek, their members would have 4 days off each week, a period of time that would be required to rest, recuperate and rejuvenate after a stressful 3 days at work.

This sounds reasonable until one hears that many of our “resting” firefighters have another job on their days off, or they operate their own business on their days off.

So, if their earlier contracts were to provide for adequate “days of rest” and were negotiated with what some would consider very good wages, why is the Union allowing it’s members to work on their days off, thereby compromising the member’s safety, the member’s co-workers safety and the safety of the community at large by coming to work in a less than rested state?

My comment is not meant to devalue the work that firefighters do, but I expect value for my tax dollar. If you need a days off for rest and a good salary, then perhaps you should be resting, not working another job!

The contract was just finalized, negotiations started in 2009. Had to get a mediator in to finish it. As for the raise, really glad I get a minimum of 2.5% a year. The mayor is just a figure head in these situations, he is told what is going on. You should read on what a arbitrator does may help you understand the process.

Hart guy, the reason our fire fighters make so much is due to overtime, they are understaffed but it’s cheaper on the books to pay someone OT than employ another. Aldo our guys are first on the scene for most car accidents etc, Vancouver not so much also you rarely see a van fire fighter freezing their butts off at -20 to save a life or two or put out a fire.

What a fire fighter does on his day off is none of your business, your taxes pay him to do his job when on the clock. Their time is their time. When it comes to shift work it affects everyone differently, some guys can get off night shift and drive to Vancouver, some can just drive to their home.

I have worked shift work for over 24 yrs. as a old guy I need much sleep after work..on my supposed first day off. Anyone who thinks the first day “off” is a real day off has no clue about shift work, sleeping till 1-2 pm on you day off and then feeling bagged for the rest of the day is not a day off, it’s a recuperation day. I do know I have chosen the job I have and this is one of the consequences of that job so I live with it.

Firefighters deserve what they make..

“Firefighters deserve what they make..”

That they do..This is a service we cant skimp out on as tax payers..If half the regulars on here had their way they would expect fire fighters to double the hours with half the resources..Then when their house is on fire they would bitch that not enough resources are in place.. Same bitch fest as the road condition complaints.

Firefighters are allowed to go to bed after 11 PM so their “shift work” is quite different from what other shift workers go through. Compare Vancouver first responders to PG? Yes they are first responders & the sheer volume of what they respond to dwarfs what PG fire personnel respond to. On top of that, Vancouver firefighters double as rescue persons in high angle, water & confined space rescue situations, PG firefighters do not ( there are some PG firefighters trained in rescue situations but most industries in PG rely on their inhouse people or contract rescue personnel). PG firefighters do have a stressful job at times & their work is valued but to compare them to first responders from a big city with big city situations is apples to oranges.

Detoe, you are very uninformed about other shift workers.

Jsmith, I take it you didn’t vote for Hall.
I did. The majority, like me were not swayed by any union, we just got the right person for the job.
Many wage earners have other income, and Pval is right, that first day off is de-stressing and rest.
Emergency responders deserve every cent they make.

Firefighters in PG work four on and four off – start with two day shifts @ 10 hrs, then two night shifts @ 14 hours.

P Val, perhaps you should provide some facts as to what our firefighters annual salaries are before any OT is accumulated! You do like to deal with facts, don’t you??

You also state that “What a fire fighter does on his day off is none of your business, your taxes pay him to do his job when on the clock.”

It is my understanding (and you can correct me with the facts, if I am wrong) is that the compressed 3 day workweek provision was initiated by the Union so that it’s members could preform their job functions in a safe manner by virtue of being well rested from their 4 days off.

If my understanding of this provision is correct, then our firefighters, who perform a valuable service, should be using the 4 days off to rest so that they are at their absolute best when they come back on shift.

Or, perhaps the Union just wanted this provision so that it’s members could obtain another job on their days off to supplement their reasonable generous wage and benefits package??

I’m not criticizing our firefighters or first responders for the work that they do. However, if they wanted a contract that provided for a long break in order to rest, recuperate and ultimately be safely at their best when they return to work, then perhaps a 4 day rest break should be a 4 day rest break!

Or perhaps we should look at a 4 on, 4 off shift, perhaps a 5 and 2, or something else if the 4 day rest break really isn’t necessary and isn’t being used for it’s intended purpose!

P Val, you seem like a “let’s not rock the boat” kind of person who just wants to leave things the way that they are. I on the other hand, am more than willing to look at how things are done and ask if there is a better way! Our City Hall is one prime example!

P Val, you state that “Firefighters deserve what they make..” I never said that they didn’t! But if they deserve the salaries in their contract, then perhaps they also deserve to take their 4 days off to “rest”!

How effective would they be if they came to work tired and inattentive? Hopefully neither you or I will need to find out!

P Val, hahahaha. I’ve worked shiftwork for the last 29 years so yes I am aware of what does happen in industry on nights. Like, say some workers that head to the 1st Aid room as soon as their rounds are done? Or to other areas of the plant & shut off their radios, necessitating an area search? Yep, I’ve pretty much seen most of what happens on nights. Shift work is hard on the system both physically & mentally. I have never had a problem with workers that catch a nap on nights when they are able. The point I made on firefighters is that they are allowed to go to bed, not find some quiet corner & curl up in a chair. This does not make their job any less stressful, but it does differ from regular shift workers who mandated by company expectation to be awake & alert for their entire night shift.

Uh, it’s a little more expensive to live in Vancouver than pg. so why pay what they pay.?
Mayor Lynn had to reward his phone staff somehow.

Hart guy, you can look up the contract online anytime to get the salary so quick math and you will see how much OT they work. Also habsfan stated our firefighters work 4 on 4 off.. No compressed work week,there if they are correct. And just like everyone else who works, must be ready for work, wether you need to nap, go to bed early etc.. Do,what need to be done so you are safe at work.

Woo hoo were does it stop? I guess we’ll have to ask for a 25% wage increase just to catch up with the rest of society.

So if the locals get what Vancouver gets, why the need for an arbitrator. Always have wondered what Vince Ready’s rate is.

Council gave themselves a %25 raise.. Which they don’t deserve.. But does make it easy when you vote on your own increase.

Party time.