City approves wage increase for Vernon firefighters

VERNON – Vernon firefighters will be getting a raise as part of a negotiated deal reached with the City of Vernon this week.

The new collective agreement between the Vernon local of the International Association of Firefighters and the city calls for a 2.5 per cent retroactive salary increase for each year, starting in 2013, according to a June 23 media release.

“The Vernon Professional Firefighters Association (IAFF Local 1517) is happy with the new agreement that provides a fair wage for the membership,” association president Brent Bond says. “We are pleased we could come to a negotiated settlement.”

The new agreement is effective from Jan. 1, 2013 to Dec. 31, 2015. Negotiations will recommence in early fall for the period beyond Jan. 1, 2016.

“We were encouraged by both parties working hard to reach a (memorandum of understanding) to the end of 2015,” Mayor Akbal Mund says.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.