ABmunis objects to federal government's approach on RCMP backpay

Alberta Municipalities added its voice on April 3 to a growing nationwide call for the Government of Canada to absorb the costs associated with the RCMP's recent retroactive pay increase.

As President Cathy Heron noted at our Spring Municipal Leaders' Caucus on March 31, ABmunis' members currently owe $60 million to the federal government to cover the costs associated with RCMP backpay, which is retroactive to April 1, 2017. 

Our association and other similar ones across the country were never consulted by the Government of Canada while it negotiated with the RCMP’s union for a pay raise. The federal government clearly failed to consider the severe financial repercussions this retroactive pay increase will have on the hundreds of communities that currently count on Alberta’s RCMP to meet their local policing needs. It is unfair and unreasonable to expect municipalities to find the additional funds needed to pay for this in their annual budgets. 

We therefore call on the federal government to reconsider its approach and absorb the one-time costs.

ABmunis' full news release can be found here. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' related news release can be found here.