Tentative contract negotiated between City of Winnipeg and fire fighters union

Some labour peace may return to the relationship between the City of Winnipeg and the union representing fire fighters.

Details of a tentative deal between the city and the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg Local 867 (UFFW) were released in a report to the executive policy committee (EPC).

On the wage front, the contract would provide salary increasesof two, 1.9 and twoper cent over the next three years.

The proposed deal would also see the city end a controversial practice of paying a portion of the salary of the president of the UFFW.

Under the new contract the city would instead contribute to a mental health and addictions fund.

"Commencing May 1, 2022 the amount equal to the 60 percentof costs currently associated with the president's salary and benefits will be directed to a fund, jointly administered by the City and the Union, to be utilized by UFFW members for residential addiction and mental health treatment," reads a section of the proposed contract.

Mayor Brian Bowman had made it a priority to end the practiceafter compensation for the union's president was made public in 2018.

• Winnipeg mayor wants firefighter union president's pay agreement scrapped as soon as possible

The tentative deal would also see the cityprovide$104,500 annually for additional mental health supports for fire fighters.

"Identifying effective measures to prevent and mitigate psychological injury has been an issue of mutual concern for the City, the WFPS and the UFFW," said the report to executive policy committee.

If ratified by the union and city council, the deal could end some of the tension between the city and the UFFW.

The union filed for binding arbitration after its contract expired atthe end of 2020.The city had alsomissed a statutory deadline for filing its proposals for a newdeal whichcould have potentially affectednegotiations for a new contract.

• City misses deadline for contract negotiations with Winnipeg firefighters
• City of Winnipeg, firefighters' union move to binding arbitration for new contract

The proposed contract was the result of negotiations between the two sides, which the report to EPC suggests was a better path than resorting to binding arbitration.

"The tentative settlement of this agreement through voluntary collective bargaining addresses the risk associated with having the negotiations settled through the interest arbitration process, which would have been complicated by the 'missed proposal deadline' objection raised by the UFFW," said the report.

UFFW president Alex Forrest declined comment until city council has voted on the new contract. The union membership voted for the contract in late September.