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