Town of Cochrane

Renewal agreement: Effective Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2021. Ratified on Oct. 28, 2019. Signed on Jan. 1, 2018.

Shift premium: $1 per hour for scheduled night shifts 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Paid holidays: 12 days, plus 6 hours will be provided for Christmas Eve as special holiday.

Vacations with pay: 4 hours per pay period (96 hours) to start, 6 hours per pay period (144 hours) after 2 years, 8 hours per pay period (192 hours) after 8 years, 10 hours per pay period (240 hours) after 15 years, 12 hours per pay period (288 hours) after 24 years for full-time employees in operations branch. 3.3 hours per pay period (80 hours) to start, 5 hours per pay period (120 hours) after 2 years, 6.7 hours per pay period (160 hours) after 8 years, 8.3 hours per pay period (200 hours) after 15 years, 10 hours per pay period (240 hours) after 24 years for full-time employees in fire-prevention branch. Any unused vacation from accrual bank will be placed in vacation bank. Full-time employees may request to carry over maximum 50% of vacation bank for up to 1 year. Any carried-over hours in vacation bank must be used within carry-over year or will be scheduled by employer.

Overtime: Time and one-half for all scheduled and approved overtime hours worked; double time for unscheduled overtime, including required shift extensions. Overtime hours may be banked and taken as paid time off (maximum 48 hours at any time and banks will be fully paid out in last pay period of year).

Meal allowance: Employer will make provisions for supplying sustenance to employee, maximum $10 value for each employee present at event, when employees are attending emergency incident and required to work in excess of 4 hours and time occurs over what would normally be considered mealtime. Payment in lieu of sustenance will not be provided.

Sick leave: 9 hours per pay period, maximum accrual of 756 hours.

Pension: All full-time employees will participate in Local Authorities Pension Plan

Bereavement leave: 6 days for death of relative (adult interdependent partner, children, grandchildren, grandparents, grandparents-in-law, legal dependants, wards, parents, parents-in-law, siblings, siblings-in-law, spouse). 1 day to attend funerals as pallbearer or mourner.

Seniority – recall rights: 12 months following layoff.

Call-in pay: Double time for call-ins with less than 24 hours’ notice (2-hour minimum duration).

Probationary period: 6 months of continuous service (may be extended by additional 6 months, providing employee has been given written explanation). When probationary employee is absent for 10 or more shifts during probationary period, period will be extended by total number of days absent with no loss of seniority.

Discipline: Sunset clause is 12 months for documented verbal reprimands, related documentation; 24 months for employee who has been subject to disciplinary action.

Uniforms/clothing: Employer will issue: 4 shirts, 4 pants, 4 duty T-shirts, 1 seasonal shell, 1 toque, 1 belt, 6 pairs of socks, 1 pair of duty boots (issue-quality), 1 ball cap, 1 jacket, 1 number-one dress uniform. Employer will provide every employee with required protective clothing (1 pair of coveralls, 1 pair of structural firefighting boots, 1 helmet with face-shield, 1 bunker coat and pants with suspenders, 2 balaclavas, 1 pair of firefighting gloves, 1 pair of work gloves, 1 breathing-apparatus mask (fit-tested annually), 1 pair of safety glasses or goggles). Fire-prevention branch employees will also be issued: 1 pair of coveralls, 1 pair of rubber-structural firefighting boots

Sample rates of hourly pay (current, after 6.1% increase):

Captain (122%): $56.51 rising 3 steps to $59.97

Lieutenant (112%): $51.88 rising 3 steps to $55.05

Sr. firefighter (after 8 years at first-class/103%): $47.71 rising 3 steps to $50.63

First-class firefighter (permanent placement/100%): $46.32 rising 3 steps to $49.15

Second-class firefighter (1 year in position/90%): $41.69 rising 3 steps to $44.24

Third-class firefighter (1 year in position/85%): $39.37 rising 3 steps to $41.78

Fourth-class firefighter (6 months in position/80%): $37.05 rising 3 steps to $39.32

Probationary firefighter (6 months in position/75%): $34.74 rising 3 steps to $36.86

Fire-prevention branch

Fire-prevention officer 2 (112%): $51.88 rising 3 steps to $55.05

Editor’s notes: Line-of-duty death: In event of employee’s line-of-duty death,  employer will contribute maximum $5,000 towards costs incurred to provide full-honours service for employee whose death has been attributed to work performed. Training sessions: If employee attends training sessions which are required by employer for performance of job or as requirement for promotion, time spent attending training will be considered time worked.