SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Firefighters and the city and have reached a tentative agreement on a six per cent salary increase every year for the next three years.

Union president Ian Whitford called the agreement between the union and the city "a fair package." - NNSL file photo

"I think it's a fair package for both parties involved. I'd have to say on behalf of our members we're very pleased with the agreement," said Ian Whitford, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 2890.

"We finally have some stability for the future," added Whitford, who has been president since September.

The wage increase, which is in effect starting 2009 through to 2011, will bring Yellowknife's career firefighters on par with comparable cities.

The union represents 22 career firefighters.

The city has agreed to address other concerns expressed by the union, which didn't need to be in the collective agreement.

"There were some issues of importance to the union and its members, things the members really wanted to have addressed," said Carl Bird, the city's director of corporate services, who also participated in negotiations.

Those issues included fire hall ventilation, improving dispatch capabilities and the use of paid-on-call firefighters.

The union, said Bird, "wants to make sure we're making effective use of the paid-on-call but not at the expense of the union members."

Both Whitford and Bird agreed recent discussions were a big improvement from past discussions, the last of which saw parties go to an arbitrator.

"In the past maybe we didn't see eye to eye with a lot of issues ... I think both parties really didn't want to go that route again and we felt we needed to really mend a lot of tension that occurred in the past," said Whitford.

Bird added it couldn't be overemphasized that while both parties went in with their own particular mandate, they let a common goal govern discussions.

"The most important mandate (we) had was to arrive at a deal that was fair and also not to get entrenched in a position, to be creative and to work together to get the deal," added Bird.

Council met Friday to pass the bylaw for the agreement. Administration will now make amendments to the collective agreement, in accordance with the letter of undertaking, after which the agreement is made public.

"I think we have a safer Yellowknife today than we did yesterday," said city Coun. Kevin Kennedy.

Coun. David Wind said he had "mixed feelings" about the agreement, adding he felt it would "put additional pressure on the financial capacity of the city."

Coun. Bob Brooks responded that the pay increase can be borne within the recently passed 2009 budget. Either way, the union's work at the fire hall is not over.

"We've had a lot of things going on that were very difficult ... we still have other issues to solve," said Whitford.

"But this is one thing less to worry about, one major thing less to worry about," he said.