The Municipality of North Cowichan and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 358 (CUPE 358) have ratified a new first collective agreement for the municipality’s paid on-call fire service.
The agreement demonstrates a commitment to retaining a paid on-call fire service and recognizes and appreciates the firefighters for their commitment and the benefit they provide to the community.
Additionally, the agreement includes enhanced insurance for on and off duty including family coverage; increased base wage rates for each year of the two-year term and additional pay for statutory holidays, and more than 35 hours worked in a week. One-time cost of living increases were also paid to firefighters based on years of service.
The agreement is a first for paid on-call firefighters in the province of B.C.
”This collective agreement solidifies North Cowichan’s commitment to our paid on-call fire service and underscores the importance and value of North Cowichan’s firefighters,” said Mayor Rob Douglas. “I want to thank the bargaining committee members on both sides who worked extremely hard to reach this brand-new agreement.”
“This agreement recognizes the vital services paid on-call firefighters provide in our community,” said CUPE 358 President Jeff Parker. “Earlier this year, these workers joined CUPE, and we want to thank North Cowichan for a collaborative first round of negotiations. We are pleased to have established standard processes in this round of negotiations, such as a dispute resolution process and a health and safety committee, that will better support workers and continue to ensure high-quality safety services for residents and businesses.”
The North Cowichan Fire Department has approximately 100 paid on-call members reporting from four fire halls. In addition to responding to more than 1,250 calls per year, the department has fire service agreements with the Quw’utsun First Nation, which includes the Cowichan Tribes, the Halalt First Nation, the Lyackson First Nation, the Penelakut Tribe, and the Stz'uminus First Nation. It has mutual aid agreements with the Cowichan Valley Regional District, City of Duncan, Ladysmith, and the BC Wildfire Service, regularly responding to calls supporting large events or wildfires.