Wednesday, November 9, 2022 – The District of Sooke and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 4841 are pleased to announce the ratification of a new Collective Agreement. The parties reached a tentative agreement on October 5, 2022 and have since ratified the agreement in separate processes.
Negotiations for the four-year agreement were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A strength of the Agreement is the investment in mental health support and the reallocation of resources to continue to improve response times.
Wage increases reflect the average of similar departments on Vancouver Island at 2.5-3% per year.
The Agreement is retroactive to January 1, 2020 and expires on December 31, 2023.
Quotes:
Mayor Maja Tait –
“We’re grateful for the tremendous work of our firefighters in serving our community. Working together to ensure we have an agreement that fosters a positive culture and mental health support for the effective delivery of services in the care and protection of Sooke is critical. We are pleased to ratify this new agreement that sees both sides satisfied with the results.”
Cam Norris-Jones, IAFF Local 4841 President –
“We’re pleased to reach an agreement that recognizes the unique challenges our members face. As our community and the challenges we experience continue to grow, our fire services must evolve alongside. This new Collective Agreement begins addressing excessive overtime and supports improving the health and wellness of our members. Together, through a positive and collaborative approach, we have tangibly improved emergency response to the community we so proudly serve.”
Media Contacts:
| District of Sooke – Christina Moog, Communications Coordinator Email: cmoog@sooke.ca Phone: (250) 642-1634, ext. 678 |
IAFF Local 4841 –
|