| MPP
Ted Arnott Tells House That Public Hearings Are Urgently
Needed on Bill 30 to Protect Volunteer Fire Fighters
From Strong Arm Tactics
Waterloo-Wellington
MPP Ted Arnott has told the Ontario Legislature that
public hearings are needed immediately for his Private
Member’s Bill 30, a Bill to protect Volunteer Firefighters
from coercive tactics being used by the professional
firefighter’s union. He made the statement in the House
upon its return from summer recess on September 23,
2002.
Following
question period that day, he presented a petition brought
to him by firefighter Tim Lee, with over 4,350 signatures
in support of this kind of legislative action which
Mr. Arnott described as being “…probably the most substantial
petition I've presented in my 12 years in the Legislature.”
Bill
30 would put in place protections for ‘double hatters’
– or firefighters who work in cities and also volunteer
as firefighters in their home communities. In his statement,
he described the problem that is affecting volunteer
firefighters and their departments in Ontario.
“The
Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association is using
coercive tactics aimed at forcing these double-hatters
to quit as volunteers, and some have. They want to phase
out all double-hatters and they have raised a levy on
their members for the cost of legal action in their
fight against Bill 30, the Volunteer Firefighters Employment
Protection Act,” Mr. Arnott told the Legislature.
“I
have high regard for all our firefighters, but on this
issue the professional firefighters' union leadership
is wrong,” he declared.
“Bill
30 was supported in principle by the House on June 6,
and if passed it would protect the right of full-time
firefighters to also serve as volunteer firefighters
and put a stop to the strong-arm tactics being used
against them,” he added.
Mr.
Arnott also advised the Legislature of the broad-based
and growing support for his Bill. It is endorsed and
supported by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario,
the Fire Fighters Association of Ontario, and some 69
municipalities so far. He also stated that the Large
Urban Mayor’s Caucus of Ontario passed a resolution
in support of Bill 30 and it was signed by the Chair
of the organization, Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion.
His
statement also reminded the House about the situation
being faced by Tim Lee, a double hatter who works as
a professional firefighter in Whitby and serves as a
volunteer firefighter in his home community of Little
Britain.
“Mr.
Lee was charged by his union for volunteering and his
case was put before a “trial board” on August 20th and
that board is deliberating on his fate,” said Mr. Arnott.
“I'm
determined to move forward with this protection for
volunteer firefighters, and I urge the standing committee
on justice and social policy to begin public hearings
on Bill 30 immediately,” he asserted.
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