North Bay firefighters have been fighting for 24 hour shifts.
In November of 2014, they won an arbitration hearing that was to allow them to start using 24 hour shifts.
However, North Bay Fire Chief Grant Love says there are stlll some things to work out before the new system can be implemented.
“We’ve had some good discussion with the association about it but there are still a couple outstanding issues that we are working on,” said Love.
“While I say we are looking forward to it, It will be nice for them to be on it because they can try it out. My perspective is that it will be a positive experience. We are going to find out if it works or it doesn't work but from a positive way.”
Love says the sticking points are the number of hours over 24 that a person can work, the number of trade days that are allowed for each firefighter and minimum staffing.
Once the arbitrator comes back the 24 hour shift process is expected to take some time to get into operation.
“We aren’t sure yet we are still waiting for the arbitrators to come back on a couple of issues we weren’t able to resolve locally, once that comes back, we also have to time it, its not a simple as saying we start it tomorrow,” said Love.
“You have to make sure things line up properly.”
The 24 hour shift is one of eight issues the Fire Department and the Association have been working on during a 4-year arbitration process.
