After years of unsuccessful bargaining with the City of London, the union representing London's firefighters is taking its case directly to city council.
Jason Timlick, president of the London Professional Fire Fighters Association (LPFFA), has sent a letter to the Corporate Services Committee, asking for a meeting with council.
In the letter, Timlick says he hopes to "provide the association's perspective on the ongoing labour dispute between the City of London and the [LPFFA]."
Negotiations have been ongoing between the union and the city since the last contract expired in 2010. According to the union, arbitration between the two parties has become the longest and costliest contract dispute in Canadian firefighter history.
The union says there seems to be no end in sight, with the City of London adding months to the process by seeking a court review of an order by an arbitrator who has instructed the city to produce a series of documents. According to the LPFFA, the city is claiming the documents are protected by solicitor-client privilege.
"Recently the parties met again at mediation under a strong urging of the arbitrator to attempt reaching a settlement," Timlick says in the letter. "Unfortunately, mediation was not successful and I feel that it would be beneficial to the taxpayers of London for elected officials to understand the association's perspective."
The Corporate Services Committee meeting begins on Tuesday at 12pm.
