RCMP category of employee project
Fight for your rights

April 10, 2003
Ref.: 900-2-1-2

Commissioner G. Zaccardelli,
Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
1200 Vanier Parkway,
Ottawa, Ontario.
K1A 0R2

Dear Commissioner Zaccardelli:

The Public Service Modernization Act which was recently introduced before Parliament contains a number of provisions to change the face of the federal public service as we currently know it. My purpose in writing to you today is to discuss one specific provision of the Public Service Modernization Act as it directly affects the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Category of Employees Project.

As you are aware, the issue of mobility of employees to the public service has been identified as one of the main concerns affecting our members during our discussions under the proposed Option 3. USGE’s concerns have been identified directly to the Project Team as well as to yourself and other members of the RCMP Senior Executive Committee on an ongoing basis.

The Public Service Modernization Act states: “Mobility of employees of separate agencies: Employees of separate agencies would automatically be able to participate in selection processes open to employees in the core public administration. Separate agencies would also be able to request that the PSC approve their staffing regime so that their employees could be deployed into the core public administration”. As you can see, while the proposed Act does contain mobility provisions, those provisions allow moves in only one direction, from separate agencies to the core public service. These provisions are also restricted to selection processes open to employees in the core public administration and do not touch other important issues such as work force adjustment situations, relocations, leave or other types of administrative processes which find public service employees on current priority lists of the Public Service Commission.

The above provisions do not fulfill your commitment to employees that “if the Public Service Modernization Act does not contain full mobility provisions, Option 3 is dead”.

We have become aware that the COE Project Team is in the process of reviewing the provisions contained in the Public Service Modernization Act with a view to proposing a further option to your senior executive, one that encompasses the spirit and intent of the proposed Act. USGE has requested consultation on the proposed option, prior to it being submitted to the CHRO or to SEC.

As the courts have so eloquently stated: “Consultation should involve a bilateral interaction by parties informed of each other’s position where each has an opportunity to give and receive information”; “an opportunity for both sides to be heard and to state the factors they feel should guide the decision”. While USGE has made it clear that we will not participate on a committee designed to implement Option 3, we have also made it clear that we will remain open to consult on the issue of Categories of Employees Project. Our request, therefore, is very specific in that we wish to consult meaningfully on this “revised option” prior to it being submitted to SEC for approval. This consultation would not only abide by the rules of natural justice but would also give SEC the opportunity of hearing from all parties involved in this very important venture, prior to a decision being made.

We look forward to receiving from you an early date when this consultation can take place.

Yours truly,

Lynn Ray,
National President,
Union of Solicitor General
Employees.