Planned RCMP Pay increase "rolled back"

[McG]

Bad news for our friends in the RCMP, and potentially an ominous sign for us in the military:

Planned Mountie pay increases rolled back
Updated Fri. Dec. 12 2008 8:31 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

The government is rolling back planned pay increases for members of the RCMP by 0.5 per cent over the next two years, CTV News has learned.

The Mounties were expecting pay increases of 2 per cent in 2009 and 2010 as well as a 1.5 per cent market adjustment in 2009. Instead the pay increases are being decreased to 1.5 per cent and there will be no market adjustment.

Commissioner William Elliott broke the news to the force members in an email sent Friday afternoon.

"We have now been advised that on December 11, 2008, (the) Treasury Board modified its previous decision dated June 19, 2008, on RCMP member's compensation by amending the rates of pay for the second and third years of the most recent three-year compensation arrangement to limit the previously approved increase to 1.5 per cent," Elliott wrote.

"I know you will be disappointed at this development."

Sources told CTV that cabinet was not informed of the Treasury Board decision. The Conservatives are worried that the decision could blow back on them since many police officers are believed to be Tory supporters.

Under Canadian law the RCMP cannot engage in collective bargaining and pay is determined by the Treasury Board. According to the RCMP website, a constable with three-years experience is paid $74,539 a year.

The force is planning to hire 1,700 new cadets each year for the next few years as many officers are hitting retirement age. In June, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that RCMP cadets would start being paid for their 24 weeks of training in an effort to entice recruits.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081212/rcmp_pay_081212/20081212?hub=TopStories

 

[Highlander60]

That sure sounds like the "90's all over again, no incentives, no raises for several years. Probably just a matter of time before this hits military pay but I hope not. I think the military pays some pretty good wage rates and I am not complaining, I suppose we all must do our share in hard times, just so "leaders" (read politicians) set the example.

 

[Marshall]

Sure, right when I am going into CF.:

Does this mean pay could potentially be deducted? or just not increased?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Sure, right when I am going into CF.:

Does this mean pay could potentially be deducted? or just not increased?

I don't think so it just means that we won't have an increase.

 

[Marshall]

I don't think so it just means that we won't have an increase.

Ah I hope you are right, I do not think the CF can afford too many cutbacks.

 

[Greymatters]

Bear in mind that the base rate pay nowadays is better than it was the last time pay was frozen...

 

[PanaEng]

Bear in mind that the base rate pay nowadays is better than it was the last time pay was frozen...

Not that much better - IMHO

 

[Infanteer]

Ah I hope you are right, I do not think the CF can afford too many cutbacks.

To pay?  I don't know about that - we are a very well paid military.

If slowing down the pay raises means that we are doing our part of "tightening the belt" in the face of a recession and that we are still able to conduct operations and aquire new kit, then so be it.

This isn't the "foodstamp" Army anymore.

 

[PuckChaser]

I think we did enough belt tightening during economic boom times to make up for purchases now. I can see how regular pay increases would be lessened, however I'd hate to see any of the desperately required equipment fall by the wayside.

 

[George Wallace]

To pay?  I don't know about that - we are a very well paid military.

If slowing down the pay raises means that we are doing our part of "tightening the belt" in the face of a recession and that we are still able to conduct operations and aquire new kit, then so be it.

This isn't the "foodstamp" Army anymore.

That is exactly how we became a "Foodstamp" Army fifteen years ago.

 

[Marshall]

To pay?  I don't know about that - we are a very well paid military.

If slowing down the pay raises means that we are doing our part of "tightening the belt" in the face of a recession and that we are still able to conduct operations and aquire new kit, then so be it.

This isn't the "foodstamp" Army anymore.

I more meant funding to actual CF operations or equipment being cut (with all the hoopla about spending lately) then payroll.

 

[Greymatters]

That is exactly how we became a "Foodstamp" Army fifteen years ago.

I disagree - we became a foodstamp army because higher leader never acknowledged that our soldiers at the lower levels were not pond scum but actually highly trained in jobs with a high level of physical work; plus the changes in recruitment policies trying to attract even more intelligent applicants who expected a higher wage; plus they took away most of the subsidies and reduced cost benefits that made living affordable on the former lower pay scales. 

Not to show disrespect to the RCMP, they earn their money, but any of our guys would love to be earning $74,000 a year by their third year...

 

[McG]

RCMP labour reps to fight pay increase cutbacks
Updated Sat. Dec. 13 2008 5:49 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

CTV News has learned senior members of the RCMP's labour relations program are unhappy with the federal government's decision to roll back wage increases for the national police force and have asked for "strong support" from RCMP Commissioner William Elliott.

CTV News first learned on Friday evening that the government had decided to cap RCMP pay raises at 1.5 per cent for the next two years, as opposed to the two-per-cent raise that had been planned for 2009 and 2010.

A 1.5 per cent market adjustment scheduled for 2009 was also scrapped at the same time.

Elliott broke the news to force members in an email he sent out Friday afternoon, in which he acknowledged they would "be disappointed at this development" by the decision made by the Treasury Board.

Under Canadian law, the RCMP cannot engage in collective bargaining and pay is determined by the Treasury Board.

CTV News has since obtained a draft version of a memo Staff Relations Representative Program executive members intended to send out to their members on Friday evening, in reaction to the government's decision.

"We are extremely disappointed with the direction taken by Treasury Board on our pay package," the memo reads.

"With this unexpected Treasury Board decision it negatively impacts on our attraction and retention, which will impact on our members work load and working conditions. This is going to impact the retention of our senior members which was one of the main themes of our current pay package. These all impact on the ability of our members to properly protect the safety of all Canadians."

The memo tells RCMP members that Staff Sergeants Bob Meredith and Brian Roach, both of the Staff Relations Representative Program, as well as pay committee chair Gord Dalziel, asked Elliott to bring the matter up with the Minister of Public Safety.

"We expect strong support from our Commissioner," the memo reads.

And the memo informs its members that their representatives plan to fight the decision as hard as they can.

"We are looking at every possible means to try and rectify this situation including speaking with our Ministers, all elected officials and legal experts," the memo reads.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081213/rcmp_wages_081213/20081213?hub=Canada

 

[stukirkpatrick]

The RCMP's SRR now has a public campaign to fight the pay roll-backs. 

They have a website, http://www.callforbackup.ca/ that includes an online petition and discussion forum. 

 

[Cloud Cover]

Then freeze all government pay. 

 

[PanaEng]

The RCMP's SRR now has a public campaign to fight the pay roll-backs. 

They have a website, http://www.callforbackup.ca/ that includes an online petition and discussion forum.   

RCMP will still get an increase - just not the negotiated 2.5, etc. but only 1.5% - same as the rest of the public service.

If I have to do my part to help gov programs, so be it as long as it is applied equally. To me, some of these people sound like winers - the RCMP is  very well paid as it is.
One problem is that the pay is negotiated so that is stays within the 3 mayor police orgs in Canada: Toronto, OPP and SQ (not sure on that one); however, they all do the same and when the next one renegotiates it leapfrogs the others and so on - an upward spiralling cycle.

anyway, just my opinion and I may be wrong

 

[noneck]

This is a personal issue for me, however I don't wish to turn it into a whine.

When you join the RCMP you are installed with the following values:

Honesty
Integrity
Professionalism
Compassion
Accountability
Responsibility

This pay raise is the second stage of a wage increase negotiated and agreed upon over a year ago with Treasury Board ( A Contract) . When the Government turns around a puts the c*&k to us in this way, it shows that they follow the Principals of Italian leadership "Do as I say, not as I do"! Not only that but our fearless leader failed to stand up for us and showed himself and his true colours as the professional bureaucrat and mandarin that he really is. It shows further that the Government had learned nothing from the Brown or Duxbury report and that the Change Management Team is merely smoke and mirrors.

We have no right to collective bargaining, we cannot redress this......sound like another organization?  Just wait for it, the CF may be  next. While CBSA gets a 20% raise due to reclassification, Fed Judges gets 17%  and Senators get a massive increase we get a paltry  1.5%.

I know our base pay is a lot more than some folks in the CF...however I don't get PLD to live in the LMD, neither do my troopmates in the GTA or other large centers. This will only serve to make things more difficult for the Force, members will quit and lateral to other Forces, recruits will go elsewhere and the existing members that remain will be worked to the bone.

However I guarantee that all Senior Fed Government Civil Servants will still get their Senior Executive Performance Bonuses without penalty, including Bill Elliott.

Noneck

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I know you guys are too professional but I would have to believe my outfit would be having the second "wildcat" in our history......

 

[dale622]

Before cutting back the pay for the ones that carry the brunt of the work for civil protection. Maybe the PM himself could take a 2.5% pay cut. I haven't heard of a story yet where any MP was willing to take a pay cut when times were getting bad.