Davies slams Conservatives for another RCMP betrayal

OTTAWA - New Democrat Public Safety critic Don Davies criticized the Conservative government’s decision to appeal a landmark Ontario Superior Court decision, which struck down as unconstitutional the current ban on unionization within the RCMP.

“The Conservatives claim to be ‘tough on crime’, but time and again they have failed to support Canada’s police officers, at a time when we need them the most,” said Davies. “After deciding last November to tear up a negotiated contract and roll-back RCMP wages, this is yet another slap in the face for rank and file RCMP officers.”

The RCMP is the only police force in Canada without a collective agreement. “The Liberal party denied RCMP officers their rights for 13 years, and now this Conservative government is carrying on that sad legacy,” said Davies. Currently, Staff Relations Representatives (SRR) are elected to deal with employment issues, but this only provides a scheme of consultation, not true collective bargaining.

“An independent union for RCMP officers will not only serve as an avenue for negotiating pay, benefits and working conditions, but it will also provide much-needed protection for officers who come forward with concerns about the operations of the force,” said Davies. “Sadly, the Conservatives are showing their anti-union ideology by trying to block RCMP officers from exercising their constitutional bargaining rights.”