THUNDER BAY – The board chair tasked to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement on behalf of the government-weary Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service is also speaking out against federal and provincial funding commitments.
NAPS board chair Mike Metatawabin wasn’t surprised nearly 95 per cent of NAPS’ 134 officers voted to give its union a strike mandate on Tuesday.
“We’ve been consistent in reaching out to both levels of government. They’re the ones who provide the funding. We’ve been consistent throughout the years in addressing all the issues. It’s difficult when both levels continue to provide the status quo,” Metatawabin said.
“From the board’s point of view, we’ve been trying to bring the wages up to be on par with the province but it’s getting us nowhere. Our hands are tied the way they are.”
The status quo has resulted in pay for NAPS falling 20 per cent behind their counterpart in the Ontario Provincial Police whose officers, in many cases, are doing the exact same job.
Last year, an arbitrator awarded NAPS officers an 11.5 per cent increase retroactive to January 2014 but between work conditions and officers attending potentially violent calls alone, the board chair agreed with Public Services Alliance of Canada representatives representatives who say the gap remains significant.
“I want to try to convey a picture where you’re working out of Fort Severn and your boss sends you up there, you don’t have a partner or support staff to work with, you don’t have accommodations and you have to leave your family and then on top of leaving your family, you’ll be supporting yourself up there -- and that cost is probably triple to what you’re paying in the south,” Metatawabin said.
“This is the picture that is crucial to convey. This is unacceptable, the way our police services are treated. It’s unacceptable. You can’t do that anymore.”
