protective services: changing the negotiating landscapeppt~slides/… · interest arbitration,...
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Protective Services: Changing the Negotiating Landscape
Presenters
• PeterGall,QC• GallLeggeGrantZwackLLP
• PaddyBradley• ExecutiveDirector,GreaterVictoriaLabourRelationsAssociation(GVLRA)
• KevinMurdoch• MayorofOakBay• BoardChair,GreaterVictoriaLabourRelationsAssociation(GVLRA)
Agenda
• MunicipalBargainingandGVLRA(5min.)
• BargainingandArbitrationandHistory(howwegothere)(10min.)
• RecentArbitrationDecisionimpacts(15min.)
• Q&A(15min.)
Who is the GVLRA?
• TheGreaterVictoriaLabourRelationsAssociation
• FormedunderBCLabourRelationsAct,Division6
• Publicsectoremployer'sbargainingagency
• Bestpossiblecollectivebargainingresultsfortaxpayers
• Highestlabourstandards,sharedcosts,consistentcontractinterpretation,training,grievances,arbitrations,bestpractices
Protective Services Bargaining
• FireandPoliceServicesCollectiveBargainingActdefinescollectivebargaining
• TheUnionandEmployercannottesttheirresolvethroughstrikeorlock-out
• Atthepointofimpassethemattergoestomediationthenbindingarbitration
• Thishasleadtosignificantlyhighersettlementsinprotectiveservices
History of Settlements
Protective Services for Municipalities…
• MunicipalcouncilsownFiremandate,notPolice• PoliceandFire:bindingarbitrationundertheActimpactboth
• NextsectionmostlyonPolice–butimpactisonallprotectiveservices
• Changeisincrementalandcumulative• KeepingincreasessimilartoCUPEandbroaderpublicsectornecessaryforthelongtermfinancialviabilityofmunicipalities
• Criticaltorespectthetremendousworkcontributedbyprotectivesservices
Interest Arbitration History I CityofPentictonandIAFFLoc.1399,
InterestArbitration,DavidMcPhillips,July15,2015
• IAFFsoughtwagerateincreasesnegotiatedorimposedelsewhereintheprovince.Argumentsfocusedonfirefightingasadangerousoccupation
• TheCityargumentscenteredonthelocaleconomyandtheCity’sdebt(significantandgrowing).Pentictonranked29th(last)outofBClargestmunicipalitiesinspendingsustainability.
• TheCitysoughtwageincreasesinlinewiththosenegotiatedw/CUPE&IBEW.
• TheUnionsoughtwageincreasesinlinewithotherFireFighteragreements.
• TheAwardnotedthat98-99%ofFireAgreementsinBChavewageparityandthelast2PentictonAgreementsalsohadwageparity.TheArbitratorfoundthatwhiletheCity’sfinancialsituationwasdifficultitwasnotasdireasPrinceRupert.TheArbitratorawardedwageparitywithotherIAFFsettlements.
Interest Arbitration History II SupremeCourtofBritishColumbia-CityofPentictonandIAFFLoc.1399(JusticeCatherineBruce,April292016)
AppealoftheMcPhillipsInterestArbitrationAward
ExaminedtheFireandPoliceServicesCollectiveBargainingAct,inparticularsection4(6)thefactorsanarbitratormusthaveregardto:
• termsandconditionsofemploymentforemployeesdoingsimilarwork;• theneedtomaintaininternalconsistencyandequityamongstemployees;• termsandconditionsofemploymentforothergroupsofemployeeswhoareemployedbythe
employer;• theneedtoestablishtermsandconditionsofemploymentthatarefairandreasonableinrelation
tothequalificationsrequired,theworkperformed,theresponsibilityassumedandthenatureoftheservicesrendered;
• theinterestandwelfareofthecommunityservedbytheemployerandtheemployeesaswellasanyfactorsaffectingthecommunity;
• anytermsofreferencespecifiedbytheministerundersection3;• anyotherfactorthatthearbitratororarbitrationboardconsidersrelevant.
Interest Arbitration History II SupremeCourtofBritishColumbia-CityofPentictonandIAFFLoc.1399,(JusticeCatherineBruce,April292016)
InconsideringthefactorsJusticeBrucenotedtheacceptedgeneralprinciples:
• Thereisnoweightingassignedtothefactors.
• Thearbitratorsmustapplythereplicationprinciple,thatiswhatthepartieswouldhavelikelyagreedthroughcollectivebargaining.
• Interestarbitrationisconservativeandthearbitratorshouldnotintroducefundamentalchangestotheagreement.
• Theawardshouldfallwithinareasonablerangeofcomparators.
Interest Arbitration History II SupremeCourtofBritishColumbia-CityofPentictonandIAFFLoc.1399(JusticeCatherineBruce,April292016)
TheDecisionfound:
• Thatarbitratorsfailedtoconsidersettlementsachievedbytheemployerwithotherunionizedgroups
• Thatlocalmarketconditionsbeawardedthesameweightasotherfactors(butnotmore)
• Thatarbitratorsaretoconsiderwageratesofotherfirefightersandpolice,thoughnothingintheActdirectsarbitratorstogivethisfactorgreaterweight
• Thearbitratorhasthediscretiontoattachweightbasedontheparticularfactsofthecase
Interest Arbitration History II SupremeCourtofBritishColumbia-CityofPentictonandIAFFLoc.1399(JusticeCatherineBruce,April292016)
• “WhywouldtheAssociationeveragreetosomethinglessthanexternalwageparityifinterestarbitrationinvariablyledtotheimpositionofwageparitywithotherfirefightergroupsintheProvince?”
• “AninterestArbitratorwhoslavishlyfollowspastarbitrationawardswithoutregardtoparticularfactsbeforehimfettershisdiscretionandactscontrarytothestatutorymandate…”
• “Itisapparent…thatinmanypriorinterestarbitrations…thewageincreasesnegotiatedbyotherunionizedemployeeswithinthesameemployer’soperationhavenotbeenaccordedsignificantweight…Arbitratorscannotignorethesefactorsinfavourofblindadherencetopastawards.”
• TheCourtgavedeferencetotheArbitrator'sawardanddismissedtheapplication.
Interest Arbitration History III
VancouverCityPoliceBoardandVancouverPoliceUnion(WageGrievance)InterestArbitration,StanLanyon,September29,2016
• ThePoliceUnionsoughtwageleadershipinCanada,arguingVancouverandBCleadeconomicgrowthandthereforethesalariesshouldalsolead.
• TheEmployerinoffering2½%increasesover4years(theDeltasettlement)arguedthatTorontoandotherOntarioagreementssettledwithincreasesintherageof2%shouldbethecomparators.
Interest Arbitration History III VancouverCityPoliceBoardandVancouverPoliceUnion(WageGrievance),InterestArbitration,StanLanyon,September29,2016
TheAward:
“…VancouverhassomeofthemostdifficultareastopoliceinallofCanada;forexample,theDowntownEastside,whosepopulationsincludethehomeless,theaddictedandthosewhoarementallyill.Inaddition,thethreemajorcitiesofCanada,Toronto,MontrealandVancouver,aremajorportcitiesthathaveawiderangeofpolicingmattersonascalenotexperiencedbysuburbanpoliceforces…”
Awarded3½%,2½%,2½%
“TheeffectofthisawardistoreinstatetheVancouverPoliceOfficeramongstthehigherpaidofficersinCanada.Itputsthem,forthefirsttimeinanumberofyears,aheadofTorontoandotherOntariomunicipalitiespolicesalaries.AnditreducesthesalarygapbetweenVancouverandtheEdmontonandCalgarypoliceofficers.”
Interest Arbitration History III VancouverCityPoliceBoardandVancouverPoliceUnion(WageGrievance)
TheAward:
• “…theVancouverPoliceshouldbeinthesamecomparativerangeastheotherlargermetropolitanpoliceforcesinCanadabecausetheyperformthesamedemanding,complexanddangerousworkasdotheseotherpoliceforcesinthelargermetropolitanareas.”
• Vancouver’sviolentcrimeseverityindexwastwicethatofToronto,theDowntownEastsidewasnotedtobeoneofthemostdifficultplacesinCanadatopolice.
• Vancouvercompetesasanationalcomparator,Torontoistheappropriatecomparator.
Interest Arbitration History IV
• AllthePoliceBoardsandPoliceUnionswhohadnotsettledagreedtotheVancouverannualincreasesof3½%,2½%,2½%
• Thisleft:• Deltawith2½%,2½%,2½%,2½%• Nelsonwith2½%,2½%,2½%&a“metoo”clauseifCentralSaanichandOakBaynegotiatedhigherincreases• OakBaynotyetsettled
History V: Oak Bay Police
• BargainingbeganOctober2017
• Bargaining–Mediation-InterestArbitration
• AwardissuedDecember4,2018
Interest Arbitration History V GVLRAonbehalfoftheOakBayPoliceBoardandOakBayPoliceUnion(CollectiveAgreementRenewal),(StanLanyon,December4,2018)
TheEmployerargued:OakBayisnotVancouverOakBay’seconomiccircumstancesaredifficultCivilianadminstaffshouldbecompensatedinlinewithCUPEstaff
TheUnionArgued:PoliceWorkisPoliceworkandshouldbepaidequallyAppropriatecomparatorsCentralSaanich&PortMoodyPoliceDepartmentsOtherPoliceDepartmentsdonotdistinguishbetweencivilianandswornstaff
Interest Arbitration Award GVLRAonbehalfoftheOakBayPoliceBoardandOakBayPoliceUnion(CollectiveAgreementRenewal)StanLanyon,December4,2018
TheAward:ArbitratorLanyonfoundthatOakBayisnotVancouverTheworkofPoliceisthesamebutfrequencyandcomplexityofcallsisdifferent
• 4yearagreement:2½%,2½%,2½%,2½%
• IncreaseinPsychologicalServicesbenefit
• Abilitytouseupto3dayssickleaveforfamilyillness
• TheappropriatecomparatorforOakBayPoliceisDelta.
Oak Bay Award Impact
• OakBayPoliceisoneofthesmallestdepartments• Thesavingsover4yearsapprox.$155,000• Thecostoftheinterestarbitrationwasapproximately$80,000.00plusstafftime• ArbitrationcostssharedwithGVLRA
• Otherfactors:• Openedthedoorforusinglarge,middleandsmallersizedcommunitiesascomparatorgroups• Openedthedoorforbargainingadifferentrateforcivilianunionmembers
Potential Impact Far Reaching for Fire and Police
Employersdonothavetoacceptpatternwagesettlements
Employerswillneedtodeterminethedifferencesin:
• Volumeandcomplexityofthework• Employer’seconomiccircumstances• Costoflivingandhousingprices• Municipalities'financialcircumstances• Otheruniquefactors
Employersshoulddeterminewhoisanappropriatecomparator• Thereisopportunitytohavesmall,mediumandlargecomparatorgroups
Managing Risk
• Risktorelationship• Financialrisk
Thank You / Questions
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