Mandy Gould has spent nearly 13 years as a volunteer firefighter in Caledon, Ont. – a sprawling municipality northwest of Toronto – following her father into a vocation that she aspired to since high school.
For the past 11 years, Ms. Gould has also been a full-time firefighter in nearby Brampton, a suburban city of more than half a million.
Now she and four colleagues are facing charges from their union for “double-hatting,” in the latest escalation of a years-long fight that has pitted full-time firefighters who moonlight in their home communities against a union that sees the practice as a violation of its constitution and a threat to membership growth. Volunteers are paid a small amount for each call.