The President of the Saint John firefighters union, Paul Stackhouse isn’t commenting on warnings from Common Council about its upcoming contract negotiations.
Mayor Mel Norton has cautioned the union leadership about wage increases of 3.75 or 4 per cent through arbitration, saying the city can’t afford it and jobs will be lost in the fire department.
That message also being echoed by Councillor Bill Farren, a former President of the Saint John District Labour Council, who says a wage increase of 3.75 per cent is not only hard to swallow but can’t be swallowed right now.
The Mayor warns the firefighters union will be choosing its own destiny.
Stackhouse will only say as far as negotiations are concerned, that’s something that will take place at the bargaining table.
