BADGE. Our Future Your Choice. Beyond the THE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE OPP ASSOCIATION SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION

Transcription

1 Beyond the BADGE THE OFFICIAL NEWS MAGAZINE OF THE OPP ASSOCIATION SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION Our Future Your Choice SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION

2 Your Vote Counts! 20.4% NDP Leader Andrea Horwath 35.8% Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne 30% PC Leader Tim Hudak Polls are changing almost daily. For the very latest polling info, click here. Data provided by Ekos, accurate as of date of publication.

3 PRESIDENT S REPORT What Happens Next is Up to You By Jim Christie, President Welcome to our special Provincial Election edition of Beyond the Badge. One of our mandates is to keep every single member informed on issues that will directly affect you, your careers, and the wellbeing of your families. This election represents a critical juncture for our Province. With that in mind, we felt it was important that each of the three Provincial party leaders have the opportunity to address our entire membership prior to the election on 12th of June, The questions we posed to the three leaders are key issues for our membership in this election. Their unedited responses form the bulk of this special edition and we urge you to examine this information closely. The content of these responses and the different positions taken by each of the parties are interpreted by myself and your Board of Directors in order to formulate and execute our political strategy. In reviewing the submissions from the respective leaders, several things jumped off the pages at me. There appears to be a recognition by the Liberal Party that OPP Association members are unique in the public service and that changes being proposed regarding the funding of post-retirement benefits would have a profoundly negative impact on the operations of the force. We acknowledge that our policing partners in the OPPA have unique needs when it comes to ensuring that officers and their loved ones have security in their retirement following many years of service. We believe that these unique needs are best addressed within the context of the collective bargaining process. Having said that, the proposal to reduce this benefit came from the Ministry of Government Services while Kathleen Wynne served as Premier. Should the Liberals form the next government, I would insist that current members be exempted from any changes to the funding of post-retirement benefits given the recognition by Kathleen Wynne that police are unique within the public service. The responses to the other questions posed are consistent with established Liberal policies. The NDP have clearly tried to take a middle road approach with their responses. One thing that is apparent is that they have intentionally avoided making a distinction between us and the rest of the public service. We have continued to stress throughout the bargaining process that we are, in fact, different than workers in the public service. The bottom line is that we are a police service and should be compared to other police services. This battle would likely have to continue under an NDP government led by Andrea Horwath. One thing the NDP was clear on was their support of the current arbitration system in Ontario. While New Democrats are open to constructive suggestions regarding changes to the interest arbitration system, we generally believe that the present system works well. Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak sent a very clear, and not unexpected, message in his response to the Association. Simply put, we are not on his radar in regards to any kind of tangible law and order policy, and the welfare of those who put their lives on the line to keep Ontario safe appears to be irrelevant to him (and his advisors). This is the second consecutive election magazine where the PC leader has ignored a good faith request from the Association that would have allowed him to begin the process of rebuilding a fractured relationship with our members. Unfortunately, Mr. Hudak again decided it was best to set aside the issues that are most important to you in favour of a generic response highlighting his Million Jobs Plan. He is also quite content to lump us in with the rest of the public sector for the purposes of collective bargaining. It is no secret that this will lead to a direct attack on our pension system and further wage freezes which will directly impact our members standard of living. It is also hard to fathom how cutting one hundred thousand public service jobs leads to the creation of one million. Being the only police service that is directly employed by the Province of Ontario puts us in a unique position. We will continue to conduct our dealings with the three parties in a professional manner and our continued efforts in this regard are respected by all. Should a policy or proposed legislation be in conflict with the best interests of our membership, I have made it clear to all three parties that we will not hesitate to make our views public during this election campaign and beyond if necessary. What I need everyone to recognize is that our future is dependent upon a government that values all public services and recognizes the quality services being delivered to the people of Ontario. I urge you to take the time to review the responses to the simple and clear questions we posed to the political leaders of this province. Only you can decide if the effort the parties put into these responses and the information that was or was not provided makes them worthy of your vote. We will be supplementing the information in this magazine with blastouts, live chats at oppa.ca, and our election telephone town hall discussion prior to June 12th. We have asked the questions and the parties have responded. What happens next is up to you. Take care, Jim Christie President & Chief Executive Officer OPP Association SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION

4 ELECTION TELEPHONE TOWN HALL June 4 at 7:15 p.m. Click here for details on registering for the call. STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES ON THE PROVINCIAL ELECTION All three political party leaders had the following four questions submitted to them with the request that they provide our members a reply to the questions. As you will see, the Liberals and NDP provided replies, the PCs chose to ignore the questions. Q: As a result of the work that has been ongoing through the Future of Policing Advisory Committee examining the cost of policing, there is general agreement that improved economies of scale can be achieved with smaller police services either amalgamating with a contiguous municipal service, or entering into an agreement with the OPP. The reduction in the overall number of police services in Ontario would support truly adequate and effective police services. One of the economic challenges for the OPP is that currently, the costs of significant front line and specialized support from the OPP to smaller police services are not currently recovered by the Ontario Government. Would your Government support and mandate streamlining police services, either by way of amalgamation with neighbouring services or with the OPP? Q: There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the current arbitration system for police contracts in Ontario. The media fuels public sentiment with more misinformation, which then engages some politicians to perpetuate the distortions. We have agreed with the Government that issues such as arbitration award timelines need to be set. For the record, the OPP Association has not been to arbitration in regards to our Collective Agreements since What is your party s position on the arbitration system, and what changes, if any, is your party contemplating to the arbitration system? Q: If your party forms the next government, what changes if any do you intend to make to the salary and/or benefits, including health care and pensions, of current and retired employees in the Ontario Public Service? Does your party make a distinction between the salaries and benefits of OPP employees, who are more properly compared to others in the policing sector, than the rest of the Ontario Public Service? Q: What message would you like to send to the uniform and civilian members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association? 4

5 Photo by Harry De Jong Kathleen Wynne Premier Q: Would your Government support and mandate streamlining police services, either by way of amalgamation with neighbouring services or with the OPP? A: The role of police in our communities has evolved rapidly and officers have been required to adapt to an increasingly complex social, legal, and technological world. In recognition of this changing context, we worked with our policing partners to hold a Policing Summit in March Arising from that Summit, we mutually committed to the Future of Policing Advisory Committee a committee made up of all policing stakeholders, including the OPPA, which will provide advice on how best to ensure our communities have sustainable and effective policing into the future. As an expression of our pledge to work with our policing partners, we have committed that it is through this process that any mandated streamlining of police services will be addressed. We expect that the FPAC s report will be delivered in the fall, and we hope that any legislative or regulatory changes arising from the FPAC report could be introduced in Q: What is your party s position on the arbitration system, and what changes, if any, is your party contemplating to the arbitration system? A: Ontario Liberals have strongly supported our police services, and are proud of all we ve achieved together. We recognize the importance of collective bargaining, and of the interest arbitration system where there is no right to strike. We know that arbitration is rarely used and we believe that the best and most sustainable agreements are achieved at the bargaining table. We re proud that our government brought AMO, firefighter and police negotiators together for independently facilitated sessions with a well-respected mediator to find common ground on improvements for the system. We believe that solutions to which all sides can agree are the way forward. For example, we believe that all sides should agree that arbitration decisions should be timely and should provide detailed explanations so that your members are not required to wait for results and so that we can all understand why decisions have been made. Ideally, changes to the system should be the result of consensus, and must be constitutional unlike those proposed by the PC Party. We are firmly committed to a fair and balanced system for both municipalities and first responders. Q: Does your party make a distinction between the salaries and benefits of OPP employees, who are more properly compared to others in the policing sector, than the rest of the Ontario Public Service? A: Ontario Liberals understand the critical importance of retirement security benefits for Ontario police officers and their families. We acknowledge that our policing partners in the OPPA have unique needs when it comes to ensuring that officers and their loved ones have security in their retirement following many years of service. We believe that these unique needs are best addressed within the context of the collective bargaining process. In particular, we understand that changes to post-retirement benefits could have unintended operational impacts. This is something that we want to work with the OPPA to avoid. Q: What message would you like to send to the uniform and civilian members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association? A: First and foremost, we want to thank you for the work that you do and for the tremendous sacrifices that you make to ensure that Ontarians can enjoy safe and secure communities. Your dedication to excellence and your brave commitment to public service represent the best of what we do together. The Ontario Liberals and the OPPA have enjoyed a strong, collaborative working relationship. Unlike the NDP and PCs who blindly rail against policing costs, we know that the OPP provides effective and efficient services to communities across this province. Furthermore, our party has committed to consulting with the OPPA as we thoughtfully review the drivers of policing costs, given the increased complexity of policing in Ontario today. Unlike the NDP and PCs who would slash policing budgets, we are committed to standing behind our front-line officers, providing the resources and support that you need to do your jobs. For example, we worked with the OPPA to permit all qualified front-line police officers to carry Conducted Energy Weapons (CEWs). Supported by increased reporting provisions and enhanced training, this change will give police officers another non-lethal option to safely resolve dangerous situations. Thanks in part to the work of the OPPA s members, Ontario is the safest province in the country, and we want to keep it that way. We have worked hard together and we will continue to fight for a strong, well-respected OPP in the future. SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION

6 Photo by Harry De Jong Andrea Horwath Ontario NDP Party Q: As a result of the work that has been ongoing through the Future of Policing Advisory Committee examining the cost of policing, there is general agreement that improved economies of scale can be achieved with smaller police services either amalgamating with a contiguous municipal service, or entering into an agreement with the OPP. The reduction in the overall number of police services in Ontario would support truly adequate and effective police services. One of the economic challenges for the OPP is that currently, the costs of significant front line and specialized support from the OPP to smaller police services are not currently recovered by the Ontario Government. Would your Government support and mandate streamlining police services, either by way of amalgamation with neighbouring services or with the OPP? A: A NDP government would work with the OPPA and management to find savings in Ontario policing. New Democrats will respect people s tax dollars and bring real accountability to Queen s park. We will create a Minister of Savings and Accountability, who would play a leading role in working with the OPPA on solutions. We believe that options that would deliver savings should be examined. Q: There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about the current arbitration system for police contracts in Ontario. The media fuels public sentiment with more misinformation, which then engages some politicians to perpetuate the distortions. We have agreed with the Government that issues such as arbitration award timelines need to be set. For the record, the OPP Association has not been to arbitration in regards to our Collective Agreements since What is your party s position on the arbitration system, and what changes, if any, is your party contemplating to the arbitration system? A: While New Democrats are open to constructive suggestions regarding changes to the interest arbitration system, we generally believe that the present system works well. In fact, it is only New Democrats who have consistently opposed regressive changes to Ontario s interest arbitration system supported by both the Liberals and Conservatives. Q: If your party forms the next government, what changes if any do you intend to make to the salary and/or benefits, including health care and pensions, of current and retired employees in the Ontario Public Service? Does your party make a distinction between the salaries and benefits of OPP employees, who are more properly compared to others in the policing sector, than the rest of the Ontario Public Service? A: New Democrats understand that OPP employees must be compared to other parts of the public sector doing similar work. Again, New Democrats believe in free, collective bargaining and believe the present arbitration system is essentially sound. Q: What message would you like to send to the uniform and civilian members of the Ontario Provincial Police Association? A: As Andrea and the Ontario NDP understand that the public service provided by Ontario s law enforcement professionals goes far beyond their job description each and every day, it often goes beyond what we should expect. OPP officers do this at great personal risk and in difficult circumstances. The work that OPP officers do to protect our communities in municipalities across Ontario deserves respect across the political spectrum. You deserve more from provincial leaders. You deserve honesty about how we will address the policing issues at the top of your minds. You deserve honesty as we confront the need to free up more resources for frontline policing, working within the budgetary constraints placed upon us by the fiscal environment. Police in Ontario are undervalued and under-resourced and we cannot change that overnight. We will not make promises that an NDP government cannot keep, instead we would like to reiterate that your collective agreements and pensions are safe in the hands of Ontario s New Democrats. 6

7 Photo by Harry De Jong Tim Hudak Ontario PC Party May 14, 2014 Jim Christie, CEO Ontario Provincial Police Association (OPPA) 119 Ferris Lane Barrie, Ontario L4M 2Y1 Dear Mr. Christie, This campaign is a time of opportunity for Ontario. It s a time of hope. We need a Premier who is a competent economic manager, willing to tackle problems square on. Our Million Jobs Plan is a comprehensive plan to address the province s most urgent need: more and better jobs. Creating jobs does more than just kick-start the economy, it allows us to afford the things we care about the most, so that our streets are safe and children receive the education they deserve. Through our plan we envision a bright future for Ontarians. We share your commitment to Ontario s future and believe that with a stronger economy, we can address our most pressing priorities together. To get there, we need a government that will implement a turnaround plan immediately. In order to create jobs and afford the things we care about, we need to get our own house in order by balancing the budget. Reckless spending and skyrocketing debt chase jobs out of Ontario. Big deficits force government to keep taxes high, driving jobs out of the province. The interest payments on our debt put the things we care about most at risk and eventually, will make us unable to afford even our basic necessities such as law enforcement for Ontario communities. An Ontario PC government will implement our Million Jobs Plan, taking urgent action to reduce spending and balance the budget. We will create jobs by bringing our skyrocketing energy prices under control, streamlining apprenticeship rules to create jobs in the trades and replacing corporate welfare handouts by providing fair and lower taxes. As you may already know, our Million Jobs Plan will reduce the 1 million jobs on the government payroll by 10 per cent. That will bring the size of the government to 2009 levels. Police officers, doctors and nurses will not be affected. Instead, we will eliminate bureaucracy to ensure government focuses on frontline services. Everything we do is designed to get Ontario s men and women back to work. We have an opportunity to put Ontario on the right track. New leadership and a new direction can get us there. Wherever I travel in our great province, I m always struck by the remarkable dedication to Ontario demonstrated each day by Ontarians involved in organizations such as the OPPA. Your membership is on the front lines, keeping our communities safe. We ask for your help in working together to bring the province back to prosperity. We ve got a job to do. It s time to get Ontario working better. Sincerely, Tim Hudak Leader, Ontario PC Party SPECIAL PROVINCIAL ELECTION EDITION

8 Kathleen Wynne and Tim Hudak photos by Harry De Jong