Since 2002, Ontario’s volunteer firefighters have been opting for unionization. This emergence of volunteer unions comes as response to a variety of factors:

• The amalgamation of rural municipalities into complex municipal structures
• The emergence of more composite departments and stations
• The fractured relationship with the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters and its members
• The limited opportunities for effective participation in operational decision making

For many departments, collective bargaining is a more productive, effective way to engage with fire management and local political leaders. Collective bargaining gives volunteers a voice, a chance to participate in decision making, and a tool with which to hold department management accountable.

CLAC is the largest organization for volunteer firefighters in Ontario and has represented the interests of 1,200 volunteer firefighters both at the municipal and provincial levels of government.

If you’re looking for help to create a better department and to make sure that volunteer firefighters are considered as equals in the fire service, you’ve come to the right place.