The City of Weyburn is standing firm on its offer of 12 per cent over three years to the Weyburn Police Association, but this will not get the police close to their goal of parity with the Estevan and Moose Jaw police.
The City of Weyburn is standing firm on its offer of 12 per cent over three years to the Weyburn Police Association, but this will not get the police close to their goal of parity with the Estevan and Moose Jaw police.
"It is my belief that contract negotiations are important, not only with the WPS but with all City of Weyburn employees. My job is to think about the future and make sure we have the courage and discipline to continue to live within our means," said Mayor Debra Button.
After the Weyburn Police Association questioned why the city's negotiator had come to an agreement with the police negotiator only to have the deal rejected by the Weyburn board of police commissioners, Mayor Button issued some comments reiterating their stance at offering 12 per cent, or four per cent a year for three years, as their top offer.
"Our current 12 per cent offer to the police is far more than we have provided any other employees in the City of Weyburn. We appreciate the very important work the WPS does for the people of Weyburn; however, the same goes for all the men and women who serve our city in many different ways," said the mayor.
The lead negotiator for the police commissioners, Laurie Ann Rusnak of Yorkton, met with the WPA's negotiator, Bernie Eiswirth, over supper, and the two talked for some three and a half hours before hammering out what both thought was a good deal, where both compromised from their previous positions.
According to Mayor Button, the board of commissioners rejected this because they considered her proposal as an informal idea "without prejudice", and "the board had not approved this. The board very much feels their offer (of 12 per cent) is generous."
As far as Eiswirth was concerned, they had both made concessions, but the city was not respecting them.
"I didn't have the leeway to go where I went either. The association has held the line at 93 per cent of Regina's wage level, and I went beyond that; we made a deal because we both felt we needed to close the gap, so that's what we both recommended," said Eiswirth, noting he was later informed by Rusnak that the police commission would not ratify or agree with the position she agreed to.
"If she can't get a deal, then what's the point of her being their lead negotiator?" asked Eiswirth. "I go to every bargaining table in the province, and the lead negotiator at each of them has the ability to recommend a deal, and they let the deal get done - except Weyburn. This is the only police force where this has happened."
He added if the commission will not allow the negotiator any flexibility, "then don't waste our time."
Since the city won't budge on their position, he considers this negotiation at an impasse. Mayor Button disagrees with that, and said, "The best deals are at the negotiating table. We want to see a negotiated settlement."
"That's definitely true, that's the best way to get a deal," answered Eiswirth. "I thought we did that. Bargaining is done that way all the time - but what do you do when you can't come to a deal? Are they going to hold us out forever?"
The WPA has sent two letters, and are awaiting an answer to both. One is to the police commission, again asking for binding arbitration. This was asked for earlier and rejected by the city.
The second letter is to Labour minister Don Morgan, where they are asking him to intervene if the Weyburn police commission won't agree to arbitration or to come to a deal; at the very least, said Eiswirth, they would like the conciliator to come back and work with them again if Morgan won't intervene.
Eiswirth also commented on the mayor's assertion about how much the Weyburn police officers are being paid.
The mayor said in her statement, "With the average police officer making $90,000 a year, with some well over $100,000, they are already among the highest paid employees in the city. We have to think about the taxpayers. We want our offer to be fair, but we also want to make sure that teh wages are not a burden to our citizens."
In response, Eiswirth said it's fine to point out how much the officers are making, but he noted Weyburn's police are still the lowest-paid police members amongst the cities. Also, they are not asking for the same level of pay as Regina, but at 93 per cent of their wages, or the same as the same-sized city of Estevan and Moose Jaw.
Eiswirth noted that the RCMP who patrol in the Weyburn are at just over 100 per cent of the Regina police wage level.
"Weyburn is getting a very very good deal for police," he said, noting the city went two years without raising their millrates for taxes. "She (the mayor) can say what she wants, but the taxpayers are getting a really good deal."
