For the first time in more than 20 years, the City of Guelph and its firefighters are at a roadblock in contract negotiations.
Late Friday, the city called firefighters demands “excessive.” Saturday, the firefighters union called the city “unprofessional.” They’re now heading towards conciliation.
After nine meeting in six months, both sides hope this step will work before a third party arbitrator is brought in to impose a new deal.
Guelph Firefighters have been working without a contract since December.
After nine meetings to strike a deal, the president of the Guelph Firefighters Association says it’s time for conciliation.
Colin Hunter says “We feel we’ve not been able to mutually continue on.”
Mark Amorosi from the City of Guelph says “There’s been little to no progress on what I call the substantive issues around wages, benefits and sick leave entitlements.”
Neither side wants to talk specifics about the negotiation, but in a release sent Friday night after talk broke off, the city called the firefighters’ requests “unaffordable and excessive.”
The comments come as a disappointment to Hunter. “We did have confidentiality agreements many times in negotiations and, again, I don’t want to breach my end of it but I think it’s very unprofessional on the city’s part.”
Conciliation is one of the last steps before binding arbitration.
The city says it wants a deal done during this phase because it simply cannot afford the next step.
“Neither taxpayers nor municipalities can continue to afford either the cost of arbitration itself nor certainly the settlements that seem to be coming out of those arbitrations.” Amorosi says.
The conciliation process is set to begin within a month.
