The union representing Winnipeg police officers has filed a grievance over what it is calling a “high-handed attack” on their collective bargaining agreement with the city.
The action came hours after councillors with the mayor’s Executive Policy Committee took their first look at a proposed plan to change the service’s pension plan — a move the city says will save millions.
“We have no choice but to take action on behalf of our members,” said Moe Sabourin, president of the Winnipeg Police Association, in a release Tuesday afternoon.
“Through 2017, we negotiated a new collective agreement with the City of Winnipeg and it was concluded successfully in June of that year and ratified by City Council.
“We had a deal. Now, just over two years into that sustainable agreement, the Mayor and the City Administration want to unilaterally rip it up.”
The proposed changes would see overtime cut from officers’ pensionable earnings and their contributions jump from eight per cent to 11.5 per cent.
At the same time, the city’s contributions to the plan would fall from 18.5 per cent to 11.5 per cent.
Officers retiring before the age of 55 or 60 would also see a reduced pension if they serve less than 20 years under the proposed changes, and a bridge benefit between retirement and age 65 would be cut.
If approved by council, the changes would go into effect starting Jan. 1.
The city has previously said it puts 2.3 times more into the police pension plan than officers do, and changes would save roughly $12 million a year.
On Tuesday members of EPC voted to move the plan forward, but the changes still need support from council as a whole.
Sabourin is calling on councilors to reject the idea, noting the legal process started by the union could ultimately end up costing taxpayers “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“With 40 homicides to date, Winnipeg is on track to set a new annual record for homicides and City of Winnipeg taxpayers will now be faced with the costs of an arbitration process as well as potential damages due to actions in bad faith,” he said in the release.
“There are many possible responses to a surge in violent crime, such as providing the Winnipeg Police Service with the resources it needs to keep Winnipeg residents safe, but only Mayor Bowman can explain how tearing up our collective agreement is an answer to our crime problems.”