The signing of a new collective agreement between the City of Moose Jaw and its police union sends a message that the municipality’s police officers are valued, the union says.
“Different communities are facing different economic challenges across the province, but we were able to work through some challenges … ,” said Taylor Mickleborough, vice-president of the Moose Jaw Police Association. “We can get back to focusing on what we love to do, which is serving the community, rather than sitting at the negotiating table.”
In looking at the salaries of other Canadian policing agencies, it was important to narrow that salary gap here, he continued. The union is pleased with its members’ efforts throughout the community.
“We feel it is a fair deal,” Mickleborough added.
The Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners and the police association reached an agreement on April 1 after more than two years of negotiations. The agreement covers the period from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2020. It includes salary increases of 2.75 per cent in 2017, 2.25 per cent in 2018, 1.9 per cent in 2019 and 2.5 per cent in 2020.
According to the 2017 public accounts report:
- In Moose Jaw, the salary of a constable ranges from $69,208.55 to $106,357.12 to $123,330.53.
- In Prince Albert, the salary range for a constable is from $73,428.69 to $109,079.24 to $113,186.48.
- In Regina, the salary of a constable ranges from $52,531 to $111,398 to $120,221.
The agreement was officially signed on April 3 at City Hall. Mayor Fraser Tolmie, chair of the board of police commissioners, and Mickleborough each signed on behalf of their respective organizations.
Tolmie was elected in October 2016, which is also roughly when negotiations began. He explained that he had to see both sides of the negotiations when going through this process. It was a different experience for him since this negotiation came so early in his mayoral career.
The goal is to settle negotiations quickly, but sometimes conversations need to happen, he continued. Deep discussions were required to understand why certain demands were coming forward. He compared it to pealing the layers of an onion.
“On the whole, I think the negotiations went very well concerning the result,” Tolmie said. “We’re very proud of our police force.”
Moose Jaw’s police force is currently dealing with some major challenges, such as crystal meth, Tolmie said. However, officers are building positive relationships throughout the community. For example, they hand out positive tickets in the summer to youths demonstrating safe behaviours. They also go into schools to help students understand the role police play.
Having a police contract that runs until December 2020 is important since it removes a stressful issue from the minds of officers, Tolmie said. A signed deal means the board of police commissioners and the union can move forward without an unsigned contract hovering over them.
“We think it’s a fair contract and they agree (as well),” added Tolmie.
The negotiation teams participated in a lengthy bargaining process that was important, but was also challenging, said Police Chief Rick Bourassa. Sometimes groups don’t always get what they want during negotiations. However, with this agreement in place, both parties can focus on keeping the community safe and harmonious.
“We have a very busy police service,” he added. “It’s good to get that out of the way.”
