CBRM plans conflict resolution session after strike by senior firefighters

The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is planning a conflict resolution meeting to smooth things over between some councilors and senior fire department personnel.

The fire chief and three of his staff left councilors at a committee meeting on Wednesday after discussion heated up over a staff report on the recruitment of volunteer firefighters.

“Hopefully it’s just a matter of calming heads and getting back to work,” Deputy Mayor James Edwards said Friday. “The unfortunate part of that episode at the end of the meeting recently is that it overshadowed the good work of the meeting itself.”

Edwards chairs the Fire and Emergency Services Committee, which met when Fire Chief Michael Seth left, with his deputies Chris March and Craig MacNeil and emergency manager Bruce MacDonald.

The mayor and chief of administration plan to facilitate an informal session to discuss CBRM’s respectful workplace policies, Edwards said, and expects the dispute to be resolved.

“We all used to get on well with the fire brigade, both the professional group and the volunteers, and I am confident that we can get the ship back on track and keep up the good work and hopefully get the fire service up and running. in the right direction for all citizens of CBRM,” said Edwards.

The volunteer and professional services only met with the administration on June 10 and had a productive meeting, agreeing on a number of initiatives, he said.

Edwards said he had had time to reflect on the conduct of the committee meeting and said that as chairman he could have handled the dispute differently, possibly by intervening earlier.

Tempers flared when Count. Gordon MacDonald questioned the fire chief about a personnel report from deputy chief in March last year.

MacDonald had asked for a document detailing the steps the department was taking to retain volunteer firefighters and recruit new ones.

He told the committee that March had admitted to him that the report did not answer all of his questions.

March denied that, saying he told MacDonald during a brief conversation in an elevator that he didn’t have all the information, but he later reviewed the report and found it complete.

MacDonald continued to question the chief and said the report did not answer any of his questions.

Then Seth and the others left.

In the reportMarch said the fire department administration has no say in the recruiting efforts of the autonomous volunteer departments.

He advised the council to give the administration that authority, and proposed a multipoint plan to address recruitment issues.

That report was approved by the fire commission earlier this year, but never went to council for a final vote.

Edwards said other councilors may have differing views on whether the report was complete, but it was approved by the committee.

He said what happens to that report will depend on the outcome of the conflict resolution session.

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