At the town hall this morning, the parties renewed the collective agreement of the 52 firefighters and the inspector/investigators in Saint-Jérôme. The tentative agreement between the Syndicat des pompiers et pompières du Québec (CUPE 7186) and the Town of Saint-Jérôme was reached last December 19 and ratified by members at a general meeting the following January 21.
The five-year contract covers 2024 to 2028 inclusive. Members will be getting wage hikes of 3% for the first two years and 2.5% for the following three years. In addition, the employer shall appoint four new lieutenants and create eight permanent firefighter positions to ensure that a minimum of twelve persons per shift are on duty at all times in both stations.
Improvements to sick leave and the introduction of 24-hour shifts are also worthy of mention, and are intended to facilitate work-life balance. “We’re very proud of the outcome of these negotiations, which improves and consolidates our members’ working conditions in the context of the project to regionalize firefighting services. We wish to thank them for the confidence and solidarity they displayed throughout these talks,” said Patrick Corbeil, president of CUPE 7186.
The previous agreement expired on December 31, 2023. Eighteen 18 bargaining sessions, including six in the presence of a mediator, were needed to finalize the new contract. Moreover, the union did take a vote regarding pressure tactics, which it exercised in June 2024.