Local 911 Update - Summer 2017

Local 911 is in a very challenging round of bargaining. Bargaining commenced in January 2016, and so far, the parties have not been able to reach an agreement. At issue is the fact that volunteers face increasing demands on their time and a downloading of responsibility—more training, more responsibilities, more community expectations, and more administration.

We are currently waiting for interest arbitration. CLAC’s volunteer members have not used interest arbitration before, so this is new ground for Local 911 and for Ontario. 

On June 13, 2017, the local held its annual general meeting in Hamilton. The board reviewed the activities of the year, the types of grievances dealt with in 2016, and also elected a new board member. 

Local 911 members participate in many charitable activities throughout the year and give back to their communities in many ways. 

Members continue to run successful annual food and toy drives in November and December. These are fantastic opportunities to support our communities. Local 911 is also looking to partner with Canadian Blood Services and our full-time counterparts in a blood drive. Stations also participate in a number of initiatives such as golf tournaments, charity car washes, and other fundraisers. We also support Box 43, a volunteer organization in Hamilton that provides refreshments to firefighters on emergency scenes. Finally, we are committed to provide ongoing support for the Canadian Fallen Firefighter Memorial Weekend and the OAFC training officers seminar and trade show. 

The local is organizing a retirement ceremony in October to formally recognize our members who served as volunteers and to thank them for their service. Keep an eye out for further details.