e-599 (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)

Petition to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

• In January 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada granted all non-commissioned RCMP regular and civilian members the right to collectively bargain. Restrictions found in Bill C-7, as adopted by the House of Commons are, given their extent and nature, inconsistent with s. 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and may be unconstitutional. Problems with Bill C-7, as adopted by the House of Commons, include amongst others (i) undue restrictions on the scope of bargaining in various areas, such as staffing levels, equipment, and harassment, (ii) broader restrictions than any other legislation governing police collective bargaining in Canada, (iii) that RCMP bargaining agent will be precluded from negotiating collective agreement provisions governing key areas affecting the safety and security of their members; and
• The Senate amendments to Bill C-7 rectify some of the collective bargaining issues identified above.