RCMP category of employee project
Fight for your rights
PSAC is concerned that the actions proposed by the
RCMP will prejudice the interests of our members
November 6, 2002
The Honourable Lucienne Robillard
President of the Treasury Board
L’Esplanade Laurier, 9th Floor
140 O’Connor Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R5
Dear Ms. Robillard:
Over the past two years, 3,500
employees of the Treasury Board of Canada who work for the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have been targeted by a proposal to
restructure employee categories within the RCMP. The end result may
mean loss of their status as unionized employees belonging to the
broader public service of Canada.
I am greatly concerned that the
actions proposed by the RCMP will prejudice the interests of our
members and feel you should have my views on the full implications
of this action.
The Category of Employees Project
was initiated by the RCMP who extensively used the services of
consultants Deloitte Touche to identify options for employee
category simplification. In our view, none of the options produced
by the consultant gave full and fair consideration to the rights of
affected employees. It is also clear, that these options grossly
underestimate the public policy implications and the impact of the
legislative changes required for implementation. They also appear to
fly in the face of the commitment made by you to the National Joint
Council with regard to the right of federal public service employees
to maintain their union representation.
It is ironic that the mandate that
Deloitte and Touche received from the RCMP was to develop options,
and make a recommendation that would necessitate the least
legislative change possible. The option that Deloitte and Touche has
recommended, Option 3, which envisages the consolidation of Public
Service Employees and Civilian Employee categories of the RCMP
would, if implemented, require extensive legislative changes to the
RCMP Act to the Public Service Staff Relations Act and the Public
Service Employment Act.
This initiative, coming as it does
during a period of legislative reform in the public service, raises
the question of how the legislative process for the RCMP will affect
the current government’s efforts to bring about public service
reform.
The RCMP Category of Employees
project is a serious departure from public policy in that it will
take thousands of PSE employees out of the federal public service
and will effectively strip them of the right of union representation
despite the fact that 64% of the non represented civilian employees
of the RCMP do the same work as PSEs, and are remunerated at rates
of pay pegged to the rates negotiated by the public service unions.
Given the gravity of this action
and its departure from the policy and practice of this government,
the Public Service Alliance of Canada will be left with no
alternative but to mobilize its full resources both in the political
arena, in Parliament and in the workplace to draw attention to
misguided recommendations of Deloitte Touche.
I request a meeting in the very
near future with you and your officials to review the actions
proposed by the RCMP and their probable impact on labour management
relations in the public service of Canada.
Sincerely,
Nycole Turmel
National President
Treasuty Board's
response:
December 17, 2002
Dear Ms. Turmel:
Thank you for
your letter dated November 6, 2002, regarding the proposal to
restructure employee categories within the Royal Canadian Mounted
Police (RCMP).
I understand,
from discussions between officials of the Treasury Board Secretariat
(TBS) and those of the RCMP, that the project to restructure the
current employee category system is ongoing and that no final
decisions have been made. I also understand that senior RCMP
management have asked their project leaders for additional
information with regard to the implications of the consultant’s
recommendations. Therefore, a meeting at this time would appear
premature.
However, as this
project unfolds and additional information is gathered and analysed
by the project leaders, TBS officials will consult with you as we
continue to work with the RCMP in supporting both their operational
goals, as well as fairness to employees.
Thank you for
bringing your concerns to my attention.
Sincerely,
[Original signed by]
Lucienne Robillard
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