Mounted Police Professional Association Applauds Senate Committee's Amendments of Bill C-7 Following Commissioner's Testimony

SURREY, BC, June 15, 2016 /CNW/ - The Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada (MPPAC) is pleased that the Senate Committee has today removed all the contentious exemptions of Bill C-7 that removed key labour issues in the collective bargaining process. This speaks volumes to the testimony yesterday provided by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson to the Senate National Security Committee. This is in contrast to the multiple meetings between MPPAC executive, the AMPMQ executive and Senators prior to the Senate Committee hearings as well as their combined testimony at Committee.

"MPPAC was disappointed yesterday by Commissioner Paulson's poor explanation when his testimony suggested that members would be better served by management on key matters than utilizing a collective bargaining agent," said MPPAC President Rae Banwarie. "This bill had significant shortcomings, and MPPAC thanks its members and its partners for continuing the hard work to raise attention to these issues that affect their jobs, their lives and the public's safety."

MPPAC was also disappointed by the Commissioner's repeated reference to "management's rights" as it pertains to labour matters. These "management rights" would have been unprecedented and would have set the RCMP apart from other police agencies nationwide.

"Instead of embracing an opportunity to be forthright and collaborative, the Commissioner appeared high handed, failing to recognize that this type of obfuscation is often the root of problems and not the solution needed to restore dignity to the ranks of our national police force," said MPPAC spokesperson Terry McKee.  

MPPAC noted that Commissioner Paulson acknowledged that getting additional funding for resources from the Treasury Board is a very difficult task, but in his testimony he failed to acknowledge the benefit and influence of having a bargaining agent in place to present the case for funding on matters such as training and equipment.

McKee continued: "One Senator commented that he has never received as much communication for any matter, in his history as a Senator, as he has received with regard to Bill C-7. This speaks volumes."

MPPAC is a national, non-profit police association which represents regular members and civilian members of the RCMP in every region of the country. MPPAC is seeking to become the certified bargaining agent for all non-commissioned members and civilian members, and has been involved in the RCMP association movement since 1994. 

Of the 227 police agencies in Canada, 226 already have collective bargaining rights – the only exception has been the RCMP. The majority decision from the Supreme Court of Canada in January 2015 gave all non-commissioned RCMP regular and civilian members the right to unionize. MPPAC does not seek nor support the right to strike. 

SOURCE Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada (MPPAC)

For further information: Rob Creasser, Media Relations, Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada, Association Canadienne de la Police Montee Professionelle, T: (250) 371-1071, E: national@mppac.ca; Terry McKee, Media Relations, Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada, Association Canadienne de la Police Montee Professionelle, T: (506) 850-3907, E: national@mppac.ca