The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled members of the RCMP have the right to collective bargaining, the same as any other group of employees in Canada.
The ruling stopped short of handing out union sign-up cards and gave the federal government one year to amend its law to allow Mounties to bargain with management on fairer terms.
We’ll be watching with great interest to see what comes of this. A unionized national police force could have far reaching implications.
Any union worth its salt looks out for its members. In the case of police unions, that can mean helping to stand up for officers subject to unreasonable treatment from higher ups. Or it can take the form of circling the wagons around an officer accused of wrongdoing.
A series of high-profile stories in recent years about sexual harassment, bullying and misconduct within the force shows the RCMP still has a long way to go to get its house in order.There’s also the matter of cost.
There’s no question collective bargaining will result in wages heading upward. Policing is one of the most expensive items in most municipal budgets and Lower Mainland municipalities are growing impatient with ever increasing costs.
When North Vancouver’s two mayors signed a 20-year extension of the contract with the RCMP in 2012, they did so with deep reservations and an eye to looking at municipal policing alternatives down the road.
Officers themselves should be considering that as they look towards requests from a potential union in the future. If they want to keep the Red Serge, it’ll have to come without a tide of red ink.
