July
22, 2004
by
MPP Norm Sterling
In
smaller communities in the Ottawa Valley and across Ontario, public safety is
being put at risk by a union squabble that could force well-intentioned
volunteer firefighters off our local fire departments. It’s a volatile issue
and the provincial government must act now.
In
our area, many professional firefighters who work for the Ottawa fire department
have selflessly dedicated themselves to volunteering on smaller fire departments
in their home communities. This means, for example, a firefighter employed by
the Ottawa Fire Department can also volunteer with a smaller, volunteer fire
department in our area.
The
contribution professional firefighters make to our volunteer departments is
invaluable. They are not only critical in terms of added manpower, they also
provide an injection of expertise and experience that benefits their fellow
firefighters and the entire community.
Unfortunately,
the firefighter union opposes this so-called “double-hatter” practice where
professional firefighters serve with a larger department while also volunteering
with departments in their home communities. As a result, some firefighters have
felt pressured to resign their volunteer duties for fear they will be terminated
from their professional jobs.
The
issue threatens to rob many smaller-town fire departments – like those in our
area – of critical personnel and know-how. For example, one local fire chief
has publicly expressed concern that he could lose seven professional
firefighters from his 50-member department. As well, he could lose an additional
four volunteers who are currently on the waiting list to join the Ottawa
department.
Obviously
such a loss would devastate any department. The time for Ontario’s Community
Safety Minister Monte Kwinter to act is long overdue.
This past March, my colleague Jim Wilson (MPP, Simcoe-Grey) called on Minister Kwinter to address this public safety concern during question period in the Ontario Legislature. At that time, the Minister said he had met with the professional firefighters association and told them he wanted to send the entire matter to mediation. He further committed to introducing legislation to solve the crisis if the firefighters union refused mediation.
Seventy-seven
days passed and nothing happened. This inaction led my colleague Ted Arnott
(MPP, Waterloo-Wellington) to revisit this issue before the House recessed in
June. We were all stunned as we watched the Community Safety Minister change his
tune and abandon these firefighters.
In
the legislature, Mr. Arnott pointed out that Minister Kwinter had failed to
successfully establish a mediation process that would protect double-hatters'
right to volunteer with their hometown fire departments. He reminded the
Minister of his earlier promise and called on him to keep his word and introduce
legislation to protect those professional firefighters who want to volunteer
their services in their own communities.
In a shocking reversal, Minister Kwinter washed his hands of the entire matter,
suggesting it was not his problem but instead up to municipalities to solve the
crisis through the collective bargaining process. This was a total betrayal of
the Minister’s earlier commitment, which had led MPPs, firefighters and all
Ontarians to believe that he was sympathetic and supportive of double-hatter
firefighters.
The
Minister cannot ignore this problem any longer. He cannot turn his back on our
firefighters and he cannot be allowed to recklessly abandon public safety.
I
will continue to work with Mr. Wilson, Mr. Arnott and my other Caucus colleagues
to force the government to back our firefighters and to support their right to
volunteer in their home towns to protect the well being of their families,
friends and neighbours.
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