Firefighters to receive 14.26% pay raise

Toronto’s firefighters have won a 14.26% wage increase over five years, triggering an exasperated response from the deputy mayor who said the hike is out of touch with the city’s fiscal reality.

The firefighters have been without a contract since 2009. With the city and the union unable to reach an agreement, the matter was referred to arbitration.

The new collective agreement applies retroactively to 2010 and expires at the end of 2014. It will cost the city $45.7-million over the fiveyear term, the bulk of which city manager Joe Pennachetti said has already been reflected in budgets.

The raise means that a firstclass firefighter — of which there are about 2,700 — will make about $87,000 in 2013. By the end of the contract, that will go up to about $90,000, excluding benefits, city officials said.

By comparison, the city negotiated wage increases with its inside and outside workers that amount to a 6.5% over the same period of time.”

“It just makes it look like we’re being unfair to our other employees, which we’re not,” said doug Holyday, the deputy mayor. “These people have grabbed the brass ring, and it’s got to stop. They’ve got to be brought back to reality.”

Mr. Pennachetti said the city had sought a lower wage increase than the one ultimately awarded by arbitrator Kevin Burkett. But, it deliberately mirrors what the city’s police board negotiated with the Toronto Police Association. Toronto has historically maintained wage parity between police and firefighters.”

The city can afford this,” said ed Kennedy, president of the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, who hailed the deal as a good one for his membership and taxpayers.

despite being the largest fire service in Canada, Toronto firefighters are not the highest paid. Mr. Kennedy also said, if the contract was too rich for the city, then “why did they go and give Toronto police their raise in 2010?”

Mr. Holyday, however, maintained the police contract would have been more costly through arbitration. He called on Queen’s Park to control arbitration because “clearly, they’re out of sight with reality.”