The City of Penticton and IAFF 1399 have agreed on a new four-year agreement.
“I am pleased with the progress we made in this bargaining session,” says Curtis Gibbons, IAFF Local 1399 president. “It was a positive atmosphere with both parties collaborating to secure the best deal possible for our members.”
The agreement, which covers all Penticton Fire Department (PFD) employees, is in effect from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2025.
IAFF Local 1399 ratified and accepted the terms of the agreement on July 12, 2024 and the City Council made a resolution during a closed meeting on July 16, 2024 to accept the new agreement.
“We all very much appreciate the contributions made every day by our firefighters to protect the community,” says City manager Anthony Haddad. “With all parties committed to an efficient, respectful collaborative process, we were able to reach an agreement that allows us to move forward in a respectful way and maintain the same high level of service the PFD has historically provided.”
In addition to improvements made to extended health benefits, dental benefits, bereavement leave, and clothing allowance, the parties made significant improvements to the collective agreement language intended to support more efficient and effective operations. As well, the parties agreed to a trial period for a 24-hour compressed shift schedule starting on January 1, 2025.
The wage increases outlined in the settlement agreement are as follows:
· January 1, 2022 – 3.5 per cent
· January 1, 2023 – 4.5 per cent
· January 1, 2024 – 4.5 per cent
· January 1, 2025 – 5 per cent
The terms of the agreement, including the wages, are comparable to other municipalities throughout British Columbia. With the previous collective agreement expiring in 2021, an effort was also made by both parties to ensure employees are provided fair and equitable benefits as compared to municipalities throughout the province in 2024.