The CAPE RCMP civilian member bargaining committee would like to provide you with the following update on our activities.
Preparation for negotiations
Over three days in April, your bargaining committee met with the CAPE chief negotiator, research staff, labour relations representatives, director of communications and public affairs, and CAPE’s new president. This was an opportunity for us to exchange information on the protocols, culture and unique characteristics of each team so that we can better understand each other and work effectively and collaboratively.
Training
CAPE provided the committee with training in labour relations and bargaining. Topics included CAPE’s governance and operations, bargaining legal framework and authorities, bargaining committee members’ roles and responsibilities, the negotiation process and its different phases, and tools and tactics to enhance our communications and collaboration skills.
This training ensured the committee has the requisite knowledge, context, and understanding of the parameters within which it is executing its duties and responsibilities on behalf of the members.
2024 CAPE RCMP civilian member survey
In March, the 2024 CAPE RCMP civilian member survey was sent to members who have registered with CAPE. The survey received a good response rate of 58%.
The committee has thoroughly reviewed the responses to determine the top priorities, identified by both ESS and TRL civilian members, which the committee will bring to the bargaining table. Those priorities include protecting current working conditions, career mobility and enhancement, recognition that the indecision and uncertainty regarding deeming has resulted in negative impacts on civilian members’ lives and careers, and a better, safer and healthier work environment.
These top priorities, and other matters that were identified through the survey, are forming the grounds for the issues that the committee will be bringing to the bargaining table on your behalf. The work in this area continues.
Memorandum of understanding
Your bargaining committee has decided to reopen the EC and TR collective agreements which include a memorandum of agreement signed by CAPE and the Treasury Board Secretariat in 2023. These memorandums protect the current terms, working conditions and benefits of both ESS and TRL groups. (See appendix L in the EC collective agreement and appendix H in the TR collective agreement).
The committee is looking at amending the EC and TR agreements to extend the application of the collective agreements to civilian members, and to improve their working conditions. As previously stated, those conditions are formed by the top priorities identified by the respondents in the recent survey.
The decision to reopen the memorandums to negotiation now, instead of waiting until 2026 when they expire, was made to secure the most favourable time for negotiation – in view of the uncertainty of a pending federal election and the fact that other unions have already started negotiating with the Treasury Board Secretariat. Waiting until 2026 would also mean that civilian members would negotiate working conditions with the whole EC and TR groups, rather than independently now.
It is important to note that, should the parties not come to an agreement, the memorandums will continue until 2026 with no change to your current working conditions and benefits. Therefore, your committee decided that re-opening the memorandums now is a relatively low-risk choice.
Meeting with Nathan Prier, new CAPE president
We met with CAPE’s new president, Nathan Prier, who talked about CAPE’s pivot to an organizational model where the push to improve working conditions comes from rank-and-file union members, similar to what is being accomplished by the National Police Federation. His vision is to bring out more natural leaders from the membership and for local working groups to develop creative strategies and campaigns to defend workers’ rights. There will be organizer training to assist members in how to be strategic in applying pressure.
Nate noted that teleworking negotiations are still on the table for CAPE and encouraged civilian members to participate in the general telework working group. He is also looking at this committee as the first example of the organizational model at work.
Next steps
The committee will be meeting again at the beginning of May to continue to prepare for negotiations. Currently, the committee is scheduled to be at the bargaining table with the Treasury Board at the end of the month.
If you have specific questions for your bargaining committee, you can reach out by email at negogrc-rcmp@acep-cape.ca. One of the bargaining committee members will respond to you.
The committee also encourages you to engage in your union local to help bring awareness to civilian member issues and guide CAPE in defending your rights and improving your working conditions.
