Chatham-Kent’s top fire officials received a censure recently from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).
At the organization’s annual convention, IAFF officials said delegates unanimously approved the censure of Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue’s chief, Chris Case, and assistant chief, Dan Parent.
More than 2,000 delegates attended the convention. The censure was sought by members of Chatham-Kent Professional Fire Fighters IAFF Local 486, according to a media release.
Michael Duben, CAO for Chatham-Kent, said the municipality is aware of the vote by the IAFF delegates.
“The municipality remains confident in the leadership team of Chatham-Kent Fire & Rescue Services. They continue to have the full support of administration and they remain focused on delivering high-quality fire protection and emergency response services to residents across Chatham-Kent,” he said in an email. “Labour-management disagreements are very common within this type of organization, and unionized employees make up just 19 per cent of our fire and rescue services staff.”
IAFF 13th District Vice President Fred LeBlanc said in a media release that the chief and assistant chief have resisted operating in good faith.
“Chatham-Kent fire fighters have tried repeatedly to work with Chief Case and Assistant Chief Parent to address the challenges facing their members and the community they serve. But good-faith efforts have been resisted time and again,” he said in the release. “The actions of the chief and assistant chief have left fire fighters with no choice but to ensure the public and elected leaders know they have lost confidence in the department’s leadership.”
Duben added he did not think the censure was the way to proceed over disagreements.
“I am disappointed that the Professional Firefighters Association would choose to take this approach. We are currently engaged in collective agreement negotiations, and effective labour relations require ongoing co-operation and communication between unions and employers,” he said. “The municipality remains committed to addressing concerns through established labour relations processes and to engaging with employee representatives in a respectful and constructive manner.”
At the heart of the matter, according to the IAFF, are concerns by Local 486 members over “inadequate training and equipment, including for firefighters responding to swift-water rescues.”
Local 486 filed a complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Labour on March 24. The Local alleges members faced escalating retaliation from department leadership after filing their complaint, including the opening of investigations into multiple union members.
Duben said the Ministry of Labour has not issued any orders against the municipality over concerns by the union.
“Residents should be assured that C-K Fire & Rescue Services continue to operate effectively and that emergency response services remain uninterrupted,” he said.
