Ottawa wins appeal to block RCMP union - Battle over unionization may end up with Supreme Court

CBC News Posted: Jun 1, 2012 11:04 AM ET
The federal government has won its appeal of a 2009 court decision ordering it to allow RCMP officers to unionize.  The Ontario Court of Appeal rejected the lower court's finding that RCMP officers' rights under the Charter are violated by regulations forbidding a union. The 2009 decision by Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian MacDonnell struck down the section of the RCMP Act that prevented Mounties from forming a labour association. MacDonnell gave the government and RCMP 18 months to implement a new labour relations regime. The Conservatives introduced changes to the RCMP Act the next year to allow for collective bargaining and to overhaul the disciplinary process, but was granted a last-minute stay by the court of appeal before the 18-month deadline expired. The bill ultimately died with the 2011 election call. At the same time, the court also granted concessions to the Mounties who wanted to organize. It ordered the RCMP to allow informal labour associations in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia access to the Mounties' email system as well as post information about their organizations on the RCMP intranet and bulletin boards. RCMP officers are currently represented by elected members of their staff relations representative program (SRRP), which is funded by the RCMP and does not have the power to negotiate a collective agreement to regulate working conditions. The RCMP is the only major Canadian police force that is not unionized.