Firefighter wages on agenda when B.C. mayors meet

Should a firefighter in Prince George or Penticton receive the same annual raise as a firefighter in Vancouver or Delta?

That's at the heart of a resolution that will be debated next month at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention.

Entitled "Fire Wage Arbitration," it asks the provincial government to give municipalities more independence in wage disputes with firefighter unions that go to arbitration.

Currently, arbitrators are asked to consider the deals firefighters made in other B.C. cities.

But Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit says that strips away local decision-making and creates a one-size-fits-all agreement that doesn't work for smaller communities with smaller budgets.

"Paying the same increase as Vancouver, which is the most expensive place to live in Canada, is not really sustainable for small communities," he said. 

"I don't want to get into a debate about the merits of firefighters. It is a difficult job; we all know and appreciate it. The issue for us is having it tied into wage parity for the Lower Mainland."

But Michael Hurley, a past president of the British Columbia Fire Firefighters Association, says firefighters across the province are still underpaid. 

"If you compare Penticton to the rest of Canada, you'll find their housing costs and their cost of living are much higher than the rest of Canada. Fire fighters in B.C. are amongst the lowest paid in the country, all in all," he said. 

"Penticton brings this motion forward, but in reality firefighters in the Lower Mainland are way underpaid. That's our perspective." 

Matching 2% to 4% per cent annual raises 

Last year, Penticton firefighters were given a retroactive 16 per cent wage increase over five years in 2015 by arbitrator David McPhillips.

The Penticton situation also played out in Prince George last year, with firefighters receiving a retroactive 15.9 per cent increase over four-years-and-nine months from an arbitrator.

During the same time period, Kelowna firefighters reached a seven-year, 17.5 per cent deal with the municipality — a higher amount than its other unions signed deals for — but the city's lead negotiator said "local governments are not able to control these provincial wage settlements."

All of these agreements came within a year of the City of Delta signing an eight-year, 20 per cent deal, which was quickly followed by similar deals in Surrey, Abbotsford, New Westminster and West Vancouver. 

Jakubeit says the deals collectively bargained in the Lower Mainland are not suitable comparisons for the rest of B.C., where fire and policing costs take up a larger share of the municipal budget. 

"Protective services are 49 per cent of Penticton's tax base," he said.

"Starting with a wage parity always tied into the Lower Mainland makes it difficult for municipalities to negotiate. Other bargaining units are going to demand the same level increases, which compounds that issue of sustainability." 

The firefighter's union says arbitration, far from how Jakubeit frames it, is a last resort.

"You're talking $80,000 for the union to do that. That's a lot of money for a small local. For the most part, that's the employers chosen route," said Hurley. 

The $100K club

One thing is certain: across B.C., firefighters are making up a greater share of municipal workers earning more than $100,000 annually, as this graph shows. 

In Vancouver, 685 people in Fire and Rescue Services made over $100,000 in 2015, compared to 642 employees across all other city departments — though that number will go likely down for 2016 because of a retroactive payment this year.

In Penticton, 48 per cent of municipal workers making over $100,000 are firefighters. And in Vernon, 29 of 40 city workers making over $100,000 are firefighters. 

Hurley says there's a simple reason for that. 

"Firefighters do much more than ever before. Every rescue scenario you can think of, firefighters are the go-to people that carry out those rescues," he said.

"From car accidents to hazardous material to swift water rescue to high angle rescue to any kind of rescue you can think of, it'll be your firefighters coming to rescue your family. It won't be any other group."  

Jakubeit knows it's an uphill battle when it comes to curbing wage increases.

"It's tough, because they do provide an essential service, and they've always been very strong in getting public support."

A similar motion was passed at the 2014 UBCM convention, but the province chose not to take action. Jakubeit is optimistic for a different response this time, should the motion pass.

"It might take a year or two, because this is an election year," he said, "but hopefully there is enough of a collective of the other municipalities waving the flag, saying down the road this is going to be unsustainable, so let's try and address it now."