New contract grants firefighters an indexed 2 per cent annual pay raise
The City of Laval announced last week that it has signed a new and historic collective agreement with its firefighters, which will be in effect retroactively from 2019 until 2024.
According to a statement issued by the city, the agreement meshes well with Laval’s long-term fire safety plans, while also pushing forward significantly the city’s intention to integrate first responders into Laval’s overall public safety agenda.
The agreement grants the firefighters a 2 per cent annual salary increase indexation.
Win-win city and union
“This agreement raises the quality of life of our firefighters, while offering them significant additional support in their work,” said Laval city councillor for Bois-de-Boulogne and executive-committee member Sandra Desmeules, who handles public security dossiers.
“I would like to point out the close cooperation of the union executive all through this process,” said Patrick Taillefer, director the Laval Fire Department.
“With an agreement where all parties work with a common goal, we can be proud to still be at the front of the line where it comes to working in the field of firefighting. I should mention at the same time the professionalism of our firefighters and our prevention inspectors, who have pursued their activities with rigor and devotion throughout the pandemic.”
Details of new contract Some major elements of the new agreement: Some parts of the collective agreement were modified in order to optimize supplementary working hours; implementation of a 24/7 air supply and equipment transport vehicle allowing firefighters to be more efficient during interventions; revision to training modalities, in order to favour the development of firefighters while increasing their efficiency at interventions; more flexibility in the work contract in order to improve prevention activities with citizens, in conformity with the city’s new fire risk coverage plan.
