Montreal Mayor Still Playing Hardball

MONTREAL MAYOR GERALD TREMBLAY HAS DEMOTED A FIRE CAPTAIN TO LIEUTENANT in the continuing labor fracas. After being caught “red handed” - literally with red paint on his hands - Captain Marcel Vincent was demoted to lieutenant, a sanction that will cost him $20,000 a year in salary, and transferred to another station.

He was accused of permitting and participating in the decoration of Station 23 to support the success of the Canadiens hockey team. (See Firegeezer report HERE) The Firefighters’ labor union is demanding that Vincent be given his job back, saying that the punishment is too harsh.

Jean-Yves Hinse, the city of Montreal’s director of professional service, said it will be up to a labour arbitrator to decide if Vincent is reinstated to captain.

The Montreal Gazette reports:

Vincent was caught on April, when a division chief visited Station 23 late that night.

“The windows were covered in paint, the lights were off and the firefighters in the station ran when they saw (the division chief),” Hinse said.

“He looked around, went in the kitchen and saw (Vincent) throwing paint brushes into a garbage can. There was red paint on his hands.”

When the division chief asked Vincent to explain himself he told his superior to play along, Hinse said adding Vincent refused to officially give his side of the story before the fire department decided to sanction him on Friday.

Hinse said it is clear to the city that the firefighters painted the stations as part of their ongoing pressure tactics while contract negotiations between the city and the union continue. He also said the cost of the firefighters actions since last autumn, for example placing stickers on trucks and painting windows, have cost more than $500,000.

Fire Station 23