Unionized firefighters in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality claim management tactics have undermined morale and jeopardized safety.

The Cape Breton Regional Firefighters Association, which represents 63 full-time firefighters, voted 90 per cent in favour of a motion expressing non-confidence in Fire Services management.

Recording secretary Donald Whalen said it was the largest turnout of any vote ever.

"We have a history of difficult labour-management relationships," said Whalen. "It's come to a head."

The list of complaints includes a lack of training, inadequate gear, bullying and harassment.

"Some of the managers, in their behaviour, are aggressive and some of our members are taking issue with that," said Whalen.

Association president Rick Foote said a restructuring of the fire service several years ago reduced the number of firefighters.

"We run lean at the best of times, and the restructuring and the loss of firefighters off the floor has caused concerns about safety for the members," said Foote. "We are being asked to respond to emergencies that we feel we are neither properly trained for or properly equipped to handle."

Whalen said none of the 14 recommendations made by Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety after the Thanksgiving Day flood in October 2016 have been implemented. He said the fire service has not provided specific training and equipment mandated by health and safety.

"If the flood happened again tomorrow, we would be in the same situation," said Whalen. "We had guys going armpit-deep in black water that was polluted with sewage and home-heating oil. All the sets of protective bunker gear that they were wearing is for structural firefighting, not for wading through water."

He said only 10 of the 63 firefighters have been trained and none have the new equipment.

Fire Chief Bernie MacKinnon is out of the office until April 16 and is unavailable to respond to the non-confidence vote.

Mayor Cecil Clarke said a meeting has been arranged for Wednesday morning between the CAO, the director of human resources and the executive of the firefighters association.

He said once CAO Marie Walsh has more information on what factors precipitated the vote, he and council will discuss what can be done about it.

Clarke said a vote of non-confidence is to be taken seriously.

"When I look at comments specifically around harassment, bullying, about constant antagonization, those types of things, discrimination, are very serious items." he said.