Haliburton County council is getting behind an issue that has reared its ugly head in Toronto. Tom Hunse is a Toronto Fire Fighter and volunteers on a department in another municipality. This is called double hatting and according to AMO, it is forbidden by The Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association. The union asked that the City of Toronto fire Hunse for his part-time involvement at an Innisfil station.
After the issue has garnered a lot of public feedback, AMO posted to their website that the public’s reaction is “double hatters should be able to use their skills and knowledge in their free time in his own community without repercussion.”
AMO has sent the request to municipalities across the province to pass a resolution against the union’s ability to do this. According to the Association, Ontario and Newfoundland are the only Canadian provinces that allow this type of union interference. AMO is suggesting each municipality support a change to provincial law to provide protection to double hatter firefighters.
At the Sept. 24 Haliburton County council meeting, Algonquin Highlands Reeve Carol Moffatt said careered firefighters are crucial to our rural departments, and thinks it is absolutely ridiculous for the union to be doing this.
Council unanimously voted to support the resolution asking the province to change provincial law.