Credit: FILE PHOTO

Penticton firefighters reach wage settlement with city in renewed relationship

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton and its firefighters have come to a new collective agreement.

The city and its firemen have not been on the best of terms in recent years. A dispute over retroactive pay dating back to 2010 was recently resolved only after the city lost its appeal in a bid to overturn a court ruling favouring the firefighters.

Penticton Communications Officer Tina Lee said in a press release  the city and its firefighters have ratified a new settlement that will last until 2019.

The agreement will see firefighter’s wages increase by 2.5 per cent each year of the contract, replacing the previous agreement which ended Dec. 31, 2015. The new agreement is effective from Jan. 1 of this year.

Both parties indicate a new, less combative relationship has begun between the city and its firefighters.

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Steve Arstad

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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