Union Representatives (Steve Warner, Athol Conway, Peter Nicolle, Jim Ryburn and Derek Best) met with Fire Service representatives (Vince Arbuckle, Russell Wood, Ian Pickard and Bill Butzbach) on 15 and 16 January to commence bargaining.
The decision on the Fire Service appeal against the Employment Court ruling was delivered on 21 December 2006 at 4.00pm. The decision, on a split 2-1, upheld the appeal.
The Union is concerned that on a unilateral basis, the Fire Service has put out instructions to Managers regarding some of the new provisions in the renewed Collective Agreement.
This is to advise members that the Auckland Local will be holding a Special Meeting as detailed below:
Members are reminded to notify Comcen should the crew of the day (on High Angle Appliances) not have an appropriate and safe amount of trained personnel. If you still get responded to HAR calls, request Porirua 317 be attached. This will ensure that a crew of fully trained personnel will be on scene.
The Local has been made aware that heavy steel cylinders are being used on appliances to cover a shortfall in the light alloy cylinders. This shortfall is another example of mis-management surrounding the new 300bar cylinders and filling panels.
A very successful 2006 Conference was held in Wellington 21 – 23 November.
Members are advised that early in December 2006 there will be a General Local Meeting to discuss the contract negotiation claims. The time, date and location TBA next week. Members are asked to discuss issues that the negotiation team can take to Fire Service management. These will be collated on a regional basis through branch meetings then nationally.
In the past there has been a need for the Local to obtain “Union Stand-Ins” for the Executive (see Appendix A attached).
Some clarification on issues raised by members is provided.
The Union is aware there are a number of concerns, questions and misunderstandings regarding the detail of the proposed Collective Agreement settlement.
Local meetings are presently being organized for the purpose of a Ratification Ballot on a proposed settlement reached between the National Committee and the Fire Service.
Members will recall that the Local disputed Wellington District management’s stance on travel payments when members undertake travel at station other than their own, especially when that station is closer to their residence. The Local can now confirm that its stance was entirely correct and District management have conceded that all those payments withheld from members will be paid.
All workers ought to be seriously disturbed at the actions of Progressive Enterprises management in locking out 600 workers who work in the company’s four distribution centers.
An incident occurred between Yellow Watch staff and the Waitemata Volunteers (November 2005), during which the Yellow Watch crew were exposed to intimidation, harassment and a Professional Firefighter was threatened with physical violence by a group of Waitemata Volunteers.
The Auckland Local does not support the removal of aerial appliance response from predetermined attendance.
The members of the Fire Brigades Union of United Kingdom, especially in the Merseyside brigade have once again come under attack from their employer. Their employer has proposed 10% job cuts and reductions in fire cover.
There seems to be a divergence from past practice and agreements in Wellington Fire District regarding travel payments whilst on Overtime. The Local has taken up members concerns with CFO Graham. The Local has informed Mr. Graham that the e mails and statements by DCFO Dunphy are quite incorrect and we have asked that all monies owed to members, be paid ASAP. Members are advised that the paying of travel money dates back quite some time when the Fire Service transported FF’s and their PPE to the station they were due to attend for OT.
There have been a number of formal and informal discussions with the Fire Service since the negotiations were last reported on.
As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare:
Members are advised again, that it is the policy of the Wellington local for members not to accept requests for Section 66.
Washington, DC – Fire fighter union representatives from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States agreed to join forces this week in a powerful alliance that will enable the unions to combine their resources to fight for better wages, benefits, pensions and health and safety regulations to protect their members, and for standards, staffing, training, equipment and resources to enable fire fighters to adequately protect their communities.
The Union Committee and the Fire Service have agreed to reconvene the negotiations next week to see if the remaining outstanding issues can be resolved.
The date for this hearing has now been changed to 24 July 2006.
As per the attached Ballot Declaration Form, I hereby declare:
The Union and the Fire Service have met on 5 days in Collective Agreement negotiations.
Members will be aware from the notice advising of candidates for the President and Vice President positions, that neither of the incumbents – Mike McEnaney and John Devereux have put their names forward.
With the upcoming Fire Service Examinations, members are reminded of the position regarding the granting of Leave.
The Court of Appeal has advised the fixture date for the hearing of the Fire Service’s appeal.
The Union has formally initiated bargaining for a renewal of the Collective Agreement.
The Union’s lawyers have finally received the Fire Service Case on Appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Fire Service has also applied to have the matter set down – i.e. seek a date for a hearing.
A significant number of current members will still remember the discussion (facilitation) that took place before the “Way Forward”, which nearly cost them their jobs.
The Auckland Local supports Rescue/Fire on the stance that they have taken against the Auckland Airport Management over their wage negotiations.
There appears to be some confusion regarding the information put out about the taxation treatment of the P.C.A. Allowance.
Members are reminded of the following information regarding working over this Easter period.
Since August 2005 the position of Chief Fire Officer, Auckland City East Fire District has been undertaken on a temporary basis due to CFO Wood’s secondment and subsequent promotion.
The Union is increasingly concerned at the length of time the Fire Service is taking in filing its case on appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Fire Service has 6 months from the date of being granted leave to appeal to file its case. Leave to appeal was granted in November 2005. Members will recall that as part of the appeal process, the Fire Service applied to the Employment Court for a stay on the Employment Court Decision until determined by the Court of Appeal. As part of that process, the Union did not oppose the application (the Union did not support it either), but simply agreed to abide the Decision of the Court. This position was adopted subsequent to discussion and agreement with the Fire Service that they would process their application to the Court of Appeal with urgency. Clearly the Fire Service is not proceeding with urgency, and the Union has formally notified the Chief Executive of its concern and asked him to honour the agreement made. Members Leaving the Fire Service a) Days in Lieu Members who have left the Fire Service subsequent to 1 April 2004 will be entitled to payment for Days in Lieu accrued, if the Union wins its case. Administration arrangements for this will need to be agreed. b) P.C.A. Allowance The Fire Service initially adopted a position that any member who had completed the P.C.A. but left the Fire Service prior to the P.C.A. payment date – 26 April – would not receive the P.C.A. Allowance. The Union disputed this position and the Fire Service has now agreed to pay the allowance to such members, provided they make the appropriate claim at the time of leaving. Transferring Public Holidays to Other Dates There still appears to be some confusion over the application of Section 45 of the Holidays Act for the last Christmas/New Year period. The Union’s understanding was outlined in two Newsletters – 22 December 2005 and again on 10 February 2006. Section 45 of the Act provides inter alia – If Christmas or New year’s Day:
A Working Party within the Auckland Local has been set up to deal with the current issues of aerial placement.
At the Auckland Local Meeting on Friday 3 March, the following resolution was passed by the Committee.
Members will by now be aware of the circumstance surrounding the house fires in Raumati South, which destroyed the dwelling of Thorndon Firefighter Stephen Hudson and his family.
Members will by now be aware of the circumstance surrounding the house fires in Raumati South, which destroyed the dwelling of Thorndon Firefighter Stephen Hudson and his family. The Union now refers to the “111 Response Accurate” release on Firenet in the name of Ian Pickard, presumably still there as a taunt to Union members and Stephen.
On Friday 24 February the Union met with Regional Manager Turek to discuss the aerial appliance placement options.
Members will not be surprised to hear that Regional Management, Mr Kennedy and now Mr Butzbach are continuing to ignore the long standing 1st alarm response of sending two pumps to vegetation fires in the fire season.
Level One Jacket1. Sizing
The Union is aware that the Fire Service has released a Notice Initiating Bargaining by the P.S.A. for some Fire Service employees. The Notice has a coverage clause of: “Non operational/support staff, VSO, Fire Safety and Training Officers:- Administrative and office staff;- Management positions not covered elsewhere.
Management has recently distributed to City, Parnell and Otahuhu Stations a number of options regarding future aerial appliance placement.
Members are advised that the Wellington Local has been unsuccessful in requests to management to raise the 1st alarm response to vegetation fires to two pumps during the vegetation fire season.
(Officers and Fire-fighters) are asked to advise the secretary of the Wellington Local if they would be interested in a fixed term secondment to Paraparaumu Fire Station.
Because Christmas and New Years Day fall on a Sunday, the Holidays Act provisions regarding the “Mondayizing” of these Public Holidays once again apply.
There have been a few enquiries regarding delivery of the 2006 Diary. Supplies of the Diary should be with Locals next week.
The Union held its 2005 Conference in Tauranga 22 – 24 November 2005.
Members are reminded of the pitfalls of undertaking project work for Districts and Region which culminate in submissions.