Tuesday, July 4, 2017

A Busy Year for Locals 911 and 920

It’s with some excitement that I get to write to you about the activity in CLAC’s representation of our members in emergency services. There’s a lot going on right now that is important to you, and it’s been quite a task to squeeze it into this short article.

It’s worth noting that much of what you will read about here is dependent on the members elected to serve as bargaining committee members, stewards, station representatives, and local board members. The time, energy, and commitment of these officials ensures our union can amplify the voices of individuals and harness those voices for the betterment of our departments. Because of the good work of these elected officials, your union can speak with authority on behalf of 1,200 members who serve as firefighters. Please join me in taking time to personally thank our elected officials who serve with their insight and their time.

If you haven’t had a chance, take a look at the website CLAC developed to showcase our volunteer firefighters, vote4clac.ca/firefighters. The site provides a great summary of how volunteers are using unionization to engage their municipal leaders and managers in a constructive, influential way. The site is designed so that when new departments ask what CLAC can do for them, the stories of our successes, and an explanation of the process of unionizing, can be easily and quickly distributed.

In recent months, CLAC has continued to improve its network within the fire service. We had an introductory meeting with the executive director of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, Richard Boyce. It was a good opportunity to begin developing a relationship and discuss how our organizations might work together.

Delegates of Locals 911 and 920 have been invited to tour the Ontario Fire Administration Candidate Testing Information Services facility, which is used by several departments to vet applicants for full-time postings. CLAC expressed reservations about the value of this service, but we will explore the facility to provide a report to the membership at our next opportunity.

I’d like to encourage stewards and station representatives to review their departments’ PTSD prevention strategies. The Supporting Ontario’s First Responders Act requires employers of first responders to file a PTSD prevention plan with the Ministry of Labour by April 23, 2017. Stewards committees can request to see what plans have been developed and should be invited to participate in the development and implementation of their department’s policy. In particular, stewards should be asking what training will be offered to members and managers for recognizing PTSD signs and symptoms, and what measures are in place for protection against harm. A resource guide on preparing for and managing PTSD can be found at firstrespondersfirst.ca.

A Busy Year for Locals 911 and 920

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