Council here has approved a new pay agreement with the town’s firefighters.
Council approved several changes last week to the volunteer department’s salary structure. Firefighters have been seeking the changes for over a year now.
After a closed session, Mayor Rod Finnie announced the following details:
– a base pay rate of $19.25 per hour;
– $30 per emergency call out;
– salaries and honorariums for deputy chiefs and captains will remain unchanged for 2008 but be reviewed for 2009;
– percentage increases suggested by Chief John McDougall will be used; and
– the pay system will be reviewed for next year.
Under the new agreement, all current firefighters will be paid at the above rates. That marks a distinct change in town policy, as before firefighters were paid on a points system.
McDougall had previously asked council to change that system because Erin was one of only two volunteer departments in the province to still use it.
The firefighters’ request to be paid a lump sum once a year was denied by council. Finnie said that would be difficult, and councillors preferred to pay firefighters every two weeks, like all other town employees.
