Paid on-call firefighters in North Saanich have just made history in British Columbia.
They've become the first on-call group to unionize with International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), marking a significant shift in the district’s fire service landscape.
This paves the way for a more structured and supported environment for these essential first responders.
The development follows months of discussions and applications, culminating in an order issued by the Labour Relations Board on May 29.
The order, consented to by all involved parties, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), IAFF and the District of North Saanich, saw CUPE withdraw its application to include the paid on-call firefighters within its bargaining unit.
The agreement designates IAFF Local 5509 as the exclusive representative for all paid on-call (POC) and compensated firefighters in North Saanich.
The initial application by CUPE Local 374 to represent the firefighters at Hall 1 (Wain Road) and Hall 2 (McTavish Road) stemmed from concerns raised by some volunteer firefighters regarding management practices within the fire department.
The Labour Relations Board subsequently held hearings in April to assess the merits of the certification request.
The board certified North Saanich Fire Department as IAFF Local 5509 in 2024. They started with six career firefighter members to now approximately 30 – a mix of POC and career firefighters in the department.
According to the district, this new partnership with IAFF will ensure both career and paid on-call firefighters receive the necessary support and resources to effectively serve the community of North Saanich.
“It’s an exciting opportunity to work together to ensure a safe and equitable work environment for our members,” stated Spencer Barkley, president of North Saanich Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 5509.
Barkley emphasized the unionization provides the firefighters with a robust network and a well-resourced response model, benefiting the entire community.
"We were surprised IAFF stepped in to adopt us into the fold," a source within the volunteer firefighter group said.
“We have such a long and wonderful history and relationship with the community, and part of that was our professionalism, but a huge part of it was the fact that we're volunteers,” they explained.
“It takes the 'volunteer' name off our logo and it changes things that way – we hope we can maintain the same positive impact on the community.”
The source went on to say the days of volunteering for a "department this big are over due to high demands, and being part of IAFF Local 5509 gives volunteer firefighters stability."
"This gives us the ability to go into those demands with more tools," they added.
Barkley said the union is honoured to welcome their paid on-call colleagues into the IAFF family, expressing enthusiasm for building a stronger, more unified team.
He emphasized this development strengthens the collective voice of all firefighters in North Saanich, ensuring fair representation, respect, and transparency for every member.
