Canadian Labour Reporter

B.c. fi refi ghters' contract complicated by pattern bargaining BUrNaBy, B.c. — Firefighters in Burnaby, B.C., have been without a contract since Jan. 1, 2012. Mediation began in February of this year but the parties are reportedly no closer to coming to an agreement. Employees at the Burnaby Fire Depart- ment — represented by Local 323 of the International Association of Firefighters — have not freely negotiated a contract with their employer in over a decade, according to Local 323 president Rob Lamoureux. Locals throughout the province follow a type of informal wage pattern bargaining, Lamoureux said, but the City of Burnaby re- jected a version of the deal agreed upon by departments in Delta, Surrey and Abbots- ford. The eight-year deal agreed upon — in various incarnations — by those Vancouver- area departments included 2.5 per cent wage increases for each year of the agreement. Lamoureux said the City of Burnaby rejected the deal, calling for concessions relating to the union's long-term disabil- ity benefits. The employer reportedly also took issue with supplemental pension pay allowance the parties negotiated in a letter of understanding during their last round of bargaining. The union filed a grievance as a result of the employer's refusal to pay the supplemen- tal pension pay allowance, with the parties addressing the issue in arbitration. Lamoureux said the union has also pro- posed arbitration as a means of addressing their collective agreement, but said the em- ployer is "dragging their feet." Mayor of Burnaby Derek Corrigan, how- ever, said the city is currently working to resolve the contract. While he declined to comment on the specifics, Corrigan said "neither side is happy with the delays that have occurred… We hope to resolve a con- tract in the near future or proceed to arbitra- tion as soon as reasonably possible." Lamoureux, however, said the union will continue to fight for a deal com- parable to their peers be- cause of the long-standing history of wage pattern bargaining. "We're not asking for anything more and we're not willing to accept anything less," he said. "If we're to accept anything less in an agreement… that's going to affect any other locals behind us that haven't signed. That changes the whole playing field. And we're not prepared to do that." alberta moves to ban political donations from unions, corporations calGary — Alberta is taking steps to bar unions and corporations from financially backing political parties. On June 16, the NDP government an- nounced Bill 1, An Act to Renew Democ- racy, which blocks labour and business from contributing to political factions, including a candidate, constituency association, party or leader. Should the bill pass, only residents of Alberta would be allowed to donate — though contribution levels could be subject to change pending a wider review of the Elections Act. The legislation is aimed at ensuring poli- ticians are focused solely on the needs of citizens. "This legislation — the first bill of this government — is about focusing Alberta's political parties where they should be fo- cused: on Albertans," said Kathleen Ganley, the province's justice minister. "We are doing this by renewing our province's democracy. Once this legislation is in place, Albertans can be assured that political parties in this province are responsible to them — and only to them, as citizens." Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and the federal government currently do not allow donations from businesses or organized la- bour. As part of a broader electoral review, Gan- ley said the government also intends to look at whistleblowing and conflicts of interest. lAboUr brieFs 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2015 FOrMerly clV repOrtS Serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com published weekly by omson reuters canada ltd. 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Labour Reporter Canadian www.labourreporter.com Photo: Wolfgang Rattay (Reuters) lAboUr lens Verdi union leader Frank Bsirske addresses Deutsche Post employees during a demonstration outside the German mail carrier's company headquarters in Bronn, Germany. Employees are participating in labour action following a dispute over pay and working conditions.

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