Saint John Common Council has ratified a new tentative agreement with the city’s firefighters.
Council voted unanimously in favour of the agreement during a special meeting Monday evening.
The agreement was reached last week between the city and the Saint John Firefighters Association IAFF Local 771.
“As we are currently within the ratification process and the union has not yet ratified the deal, it would be inappropriate to comment in any way, shape or form or provide any details on the tentative agreement at this time,” City Manager John Collin said during Monday’s meeting.
Details about when the association will ask its membership for ratification have yet to be announced.
The tentative agreement was reached last Tuesday, one day after Collin revealed to council that the city had filed for binding arbitration months earlier.
“Although we continue to try to work with our fire union to achieve a possible collective agreement, we have filed for binding arbitration, and it is not probable that that will be completed by the end of the year,” city manager John Collin told council Monday night during an update on the city’s annual work plan.
In a statement the following day, a spokesperson said the city filed for “conciliation” — the first step in the process that could potentially lead to binding arbitration — on Oct. 21, 2021.
The two sides have been without a contract since the end of 2019. Negotiations began in February 2020.
