/R E P E A T -- Right to unionize - Union of Canadian Correctional Officers supports RCMP officers/

MONTREAL, April 18, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers (UCCO-SACC-CSN) wholeheartedly supports RCMP members of the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada (MPPAC) in their bid to establish the first RCMP officers' union in the country's history.

Recall that in January 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that RCMP officers had the right to negotiate a collective agreement. The highest court in Canada also gave the government a period of one year to establish a new labour relations regime. On March 9, Treasury Board President Scott Brison tabled Bill C-7 in order to lay the groundwork for this new regime.

Fundamental flaws

Echoing MPPAC's view, UCCO-SACC-CSN believes Bill C-7 is a step in the right direction, but thinks it contains several flaws that impede the unionization efforts of RCMP officers. "All workers' associations have the right to form a union. RCMP officers have been denied this fundamental right. Now that the highest court in the country has decided in favour of MPPAC, there is no longer any reason to block the efforts of our RCMP colleagues who, like us, carry out essential work to ensure the safety of all Canadians. Why would they have fewer rights than all other Canadian workers?" asked UCCO-SACC-CSN National President Kevin Grabowsky.

As Bill C-7 is currently being debated by a House of Commons committee in Ottawa, UCCO-SACC-CSN invites the federal government to review its position and extend the same rights to RCMP officers that other Canadian workers enjoy. "RCMP officers have been trying to obtain the right to associate for decades. I encourage them to stand firm and keep fighting so this incredibly cherished right does not get placed in a straightjacket so tight it offers no flexibility to workers. As a fellow group of national law enforcement, Correctional Officers also continue to face many challenges dealing with the PSLRA (Public Service Labour Relations Act)," concluded Mr. Grabowsky.   

SOURCE CSN

Dave Parent, advisor, CSN Information Service, [phone]