Two Sudbury city councillors voice support for volunteer firefighters

Councillors support disciplined firefighters Two city councillors in Sudbury back volunteer firefighters who were disciplined/fired. Callam Rodya reports.

Some volunteer firefighters in Greater Sudbury are facing disciplinary action after speaking out against planned changes to the city's fire services earlier this year.

The union representing some 260 volunteer firefighters in Sudbury said it's determined to fight back against the city.

The Christian Labour Association of Canada said 11 of its members are facing disciplinary action and three are being terminated

The city said they broke employment rules related to political work and communications.

"We're going to use everything we can within our collective agreement and within our resources to overturn and appeal that decision," said Matthew Walchuk, Christian Labour Association of Canada.

Now, they have some heavy hitters in their corner; two local councillors who were also opponents of the planned re-vamping of fire services.

"I have a great deal of difficulty with that because it says you're discouraged from speaking to your councillors, and all employees with the City of Greater Sudbury are constituents of their councillors, said Robert Kirwan, Sudbury city councillor.

"For one of the individuals that was terminated, I was attending all of the meetings that this individual was attending, and I did not see anything that was out of line in his line of questioning," explained Michael Vagnini, Sudbury city councillor.

Both Kirwan and Vagnini, who had talks with volunteer firefighters about the optimization plan, said even city employees are constituents and have a right to engage with their councilors.

"I want everyone who is my constituent in Ward 5 to feel  feel free that they can speak to me. Employees of the city basically cannot, and I don't like that," said Kirwan.

"When you show up at one of our community meetings, they are part of our community and they have the ability to ask," Vagnini said.

The two councillors said these disciplinary cases could not come at a worse time given the upcoming collective bargaining talks with the union.