Council passes motion due to concern about losing autonomy

There’s concern at North Bay City Council of the possibility of having a fire-medic program forced on the city by a provincial arbitrator.

This week they passed a motion in opposition to that possibility.

The province has called for two municipalities to become pilot project communities and Councillor Mac Bain who authored the council motion is concerned an arbitrator could impose a solution on the city.

He says it’s been done in the past.

“Arbitrators have awarded retention pay to police departments and fire departments in the city of North Bay. Arbitrators have awarded across the province 24 hour shifts for fire departments.”
He says he’s concerned that municipalities would lose local autonomy.

He says municipalities should be able to make their own decisions. The province says no municipality would have a fire medic program imposed on it.

Bain says the province needs to act on this in the budget bill.

“To change the legislation. To give municipalities the autonomy to make their own staffing decisions and not be penalized through arbitrators awards.”

The motion has been sent to the premier, The Minister of Municipal Affairs, The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.