A Parliamentary Precinct guard keeps an eye on things as Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Singh Bains speaks with members of the media Wednesday October 25, 2017 in Ottawa.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
The RCMP is dissociating itself from the verbal and written reprimands that have been imposed against security guards on Parliament Hill who are wearing bright green ball caps to protest stalled labour talks.
In a statement to The Globe and Mail, the RCMP made it clear that the disciplinary measures were imposed at the request of the House and Senate authorities in charge of the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS), and not the police body itself.
The RCMP has been overseeing all security on the Hill since the 2014 terrorist attack, but is not involved in labour negotiations with security guards on the Hill.
"In addition to setting the policy direction for PPS, the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons are also responsible for all administrative issues pertaining to the Service," RCMP Staff Sergeant Tania Vaughan said. "Labour relations are an administrative issue."
A government official said there are concerns inside the RCMP that the disciplinary measures could lead to the suspension of security guards, which would affect security on the Hill.
"If there was a [emergency] call-in, this would have an impact on the resources that are available," said the official, who spoke about the labour dispute on the condition of anonymity. "There [is pressure for an escalation] in the discipline, but the RCMP has a different perspective because of the potential impact on operations."
RCMP officials pointed out the national police force has not cracked down against Mounties who are covering up the yellow stripes on their uniforms as part of a separate labour protest, in order to preserve "operational integrity."
"The RCMP would handle it differently," the government official said of the PPS labour protests.
In a statement, the director of the PPS, Chief Superintendent Jane MacLatchy, said she hopes that discussions with security guards will bring a "reasonable and achievable solution" to the labour protests.
"Disputes of this nature are never easy and while it remains the employer's right to discipline, the actions we are seeing take everyone out of their comfort zone and require serious reflection," she said.
The NDP said it is a shame that security guards are being reprimanded for expressing their opinions.
"These men and women are ready to put their lives on the line to protect us, to protect the heart of our democracy," said NDP MP Matthew Dubé. "For them to have their careers or their livelihood affected because they want proper negotiations for better working conditions is deeply concerning."
PPS guards have been protesting for several months over stalled negotiations for a new collective agreement, with guards wearing jeans, green ball caps and stickers calling for greater "respect."
After issuing verbal reprimands, the PPS has recently starting issuing written reprimands that will stay on the employees' files for two years. The next logical step in the disciplinary process would be one-day suspensions, followed by suspensions of three to five days, with dismissals as the final step, said a union official.
"Will they fire 240 people because they are wearing ball caps?" said Roch Lapensée, president of the House of Commons security officers' union, the Security Services Employees Association (SSEA).
Under a tripartite agreement in 2015, the House of Commons and the Senate retained administrative authority over the newly created PPS in order to maintain the independence of the security body.
In addition to the SSEA, there are two other unions representing security officials in Parliament: the Senate Protective Service Employees Association, which represents Senate employees, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents the officials working the scanners and metal detectors.
The PPS has made an application to the Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board to bring the employees under a single bargaining unit. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for early November.
"The PPS continues to respect all conditions of the existing collective bargaining agreements and until a decision is rendered by PSLREB, the PPS has been advised that they cannot collectively bargain at this time," the PPS said in a statement.
Mr. Lapensée argued the process in front of the board will take too long and that the PPS should change its approach. "We could start negotiations tomorrow morning," he said.
With files from Robert Fife.