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RCMP union talks could spur B.C. staffing improvements

The federal government has accepted some — but not all — of the Senate’s amendments to a bill that would allow Mounties to form a union, giving RCMP members the power to bargain collectively on staffing levels, equipment, transfers and harassment.
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Mounties join other police officers in a parade outside the B.C. legislature in 2014. A former West Shore Mountie says many RCMP officers are switching to B.C. municipal forces for higher pay.

The federal government has accepted some — but not all — of the Senate’s amendments to a bill that would allow Mounties to form a union, giving RCMP members the power to bargain collectively on staffing levels, equipment, transfers and harassment.

There’s hope that the ability to negotiate on those key issues could address the chronic understaffing that plagues RCMP detachments across B.C., including Sooke and West Shore RCMP.

A collective agreement could include better minimum-staffing clauses, which state how many officers must be working in a given community, said Rob Creasser, spokesman for the Mounted Police Professional Association.

He said understaffing can affect public safety and put officers at higher risk of injuries, both physical and mental.

“You’re stressed, you’re trying to do the job with inadequate resources. It also explains higher incidence of mental-health issues among RCMP members,” he said.

Mounties across B.C. continue to cover the yellow stripes on their pants as a silent protest in support of a union and better pay.

Former West Shore RCMP officer Max Fossum told the Times Colonist in April that many RCMP officers are switching to municipal forces for the higher pay, which leaves significant staffing shortages.

An RCMP first-class constable makes $86,110, about $10,000 less than a five-year constable in Greater Victoria.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled two years ago that RCMP officers have the right to unionize.

The federal government then passed Bill C-7, which would pave the way for a labour relations regime in the RCMP. However, key bargaining issues were excluded from the original bill. A Senate committee scrapped the most controversial elements of the bill and asked the government to redraft it.

The federal government agreed to remove all restrictions on what may be included in collective agreements and arbitration awards.

Creasser said it’s unfortunate that it has taken two years for the government to “realize that no other police collective-bargaining legislation anywhere in North America would exclude the things they wanted to exclude.”

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said the government has considered the Senate’s amendments to the bill and “meaningfully addressed their concerns.”

“At the same time, we have ensured the operational integrity of the RCMP as a police service and demonstrated our continued commitment to protecting the safety and security of Canadians,” Goodale said in a statement.

The Liberal government rejected a Senate amendment that would have required any future vote on certification of an RCMP union to be done by secret ballot — a measure favoured by the Conservatives.

The bill will have to go back to the Senate for its approval before it becomes law.

If the Mounties do form a union, they would not be allowed to go on strike. Any impasse in collective bargaining would be resolved by binding arbitration.

The National Police Federation has filed its application for certification with the federal labour relations board, asking to represent the 17,945 Mounties who are below the rank of inspector.

kderosa@timescolonist.com