The head of Montreal's firefighters' union has been suspended for six months without pay.
Ronald Martin was summoned to a meeting at the fire department's headquarters on Tuesday morning where he was informed of the suspension.
Martin said he will remain as head of the union whether he's being paid to be a firefighter or not.
"Now more than ever I will be determined to fight," said Martin.
Martin's suspension comes less than two weeks after six firefighters were fired and 46 more were suspended for storming City Hall in August.
Close to 60 municipal employees are facing criminal charges in connection with that protest and other actions taken over the summer.
"The morale is very low, but my men they have character and they're going to continue to ensure the services to the citizens, but they have lost confidence in the administration," said Martin.
He added that the suspensions are unfair given that criminal proceedings are still underway.
"I believe in Quebec that the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is still the law," said Martin, who reiterated that the union is challenging each suspension and the firings of six firefighters.
Municipal workers are fighting Bill 3, sweeping pension reform legislation that would see all unionized employees making higher contributions to their pension plans to make up for funding shortfalls and to ensure pension plans are fully funded in the future.
Martin said he believes management is making a serious mistake and is escalating the fight in an attempt to get unionized workers to back down.
"They will not succeed in splitting up unions. We are more together than ever before, working together in solidarity," said Martin. “They try to do this to devise the movement; they are making a big, big, big mistake.”
Martin added that at some point in a labour dispute negotiators had to take a calm, level-headed approach in order to soothe tempers, and he did not think the managers of the fire department were doing that.
Each disciplinary measure corresponds with the gravity of the offences, the city argued.
“This is really not an issue about firefighters. This is about certain people that went too far on the 18th of August,” said Richard Liebmann, assistant director of Montreal’s fire services. “We have a zero tolerance policy for intimidation and harassment in the workplace and we have to keep to our word.”
In Martin's case, the punishment does not fit, said Chris Ross, vice-president of the firefighters’ union.
“He was never once inside the town hall. He didn't participate in any of those activities and he's still being held responsible for standing in the rear of the town hall, with a six-month suspension. Knowing that it doesn't affect his salary because he's paid by the association, it becomes sort of symbolic and makes us think this is a political measure,” said Ross.
Speaking before a group of 100 firefighters who support him, Martin echoed those sentiments.
“The fight has taken on a political tone,” he told them
The 2,400 members of the firefighters’ union will meet in a general assembly Wednesday to discuss the next steps.
“I imagine there's going to be a lot of pressure from our members and then Thursday there's going to be a general assembly of the whole coalition,” said Ross.
The union will file a grievance to contest Martin's suspension. In all, this brings the number of disciplinary measures to 53.
One more awaits: the association's treasurer is still waiting for word on his fate.
