1997-05-07_Minutes
86-386
COMMON COUNCIL
MAY 7,1997
At a meeting of the Common Council, held at the City Hall in the City of
Saint John, on Wednesday, the seventh day of May, A.D. 1997, at 4:00 o'clock p.m.
present
Shirley McAlary, Mayor
Knibb,
Councillors Arthurs, Ball, Brown, Chase, Fitzpatrick, Gould,
Trites and Waldschutz
- and -
Messrs. 1. Totten, City Manager; J. Nugent, City Solicitor; D.
Wilson, Commissioner of Finance; P. Groody, Commissioner of
Human Resources; P. Woods, Deputy Commissioner of Finance;
D. Sherwood, Chief of Police; G. Ingraham, Assistant Deputy
Chief of Police; B. Fillmore, Assistant Deputy Chief of Police; A.
Bodechon, Assistant Deputy Chief of Police; J. McNamee,
Assistant Deputy Chief of Police; J. Mcintyre, Manager of
Industrial Relations; B. McCarthy, Manager of Human Resources
Services; P. Morgan, Personnel Officer; D. Parks, Police
Constable; D. Oram, Police Constable; Mrs. M. Munford,
Common Clerk; members of Local No. 61, C.U.P.E.;and Ms. C.
Joyce, Assistant Common Clerk.
1. MeetinQ Called To Order - OpeninQ Prayer
Mayor McAlary called the meeting to order, and offered the opening
prayer.
The Mayor welcomed to this special meeting of Common Council, which
was called for the purpose of considering the proposed agreement with the Saint John
Police Protective Association, Local No. 61, C.U.P.E., members of the Saint John
Police Force, the members of the Implementation Team and Mr. Keith Taylor, Facilitator
of the Team, and members of the negotiating team; and invited Mr. Groody, Local No.
61 President D. Parks, and Chief Sherwood to address Council, in turn, in this regard.
Tentative Collective AQreement - Police
Consideration was given to a report from the City Manager (copies of
which were distributed to Council members at this meeting) submitting the proposed
working agreement and seven proposed letters of agreement with the Saint John
Police Protective Association, Local No. 61, C.U.P.E. which, subject to ratification,
would be the first contract negotiated and signed by the parties in 14 years; also
submitting comments on the proposed Local No. 61 collective agreement from an
industrial relations perspective and from a Police operational perspective, as well as on
the financial implications of the agreement; highlighting the proposed agreement; and
recommending ratification of the agreement and letters of agreement, and the
withdrawal of the application for judicial review of the Stanley Arbitration Award, dated
November 27, 1996, upon execution of the proposed agreement.
Mr. Groody commented on the interest-based negotiation approach used
in the bargaining process, and recognized the members of the negotiating teams as
follows:- Messrs. D. Secord, A. Bodechon, K. Phillips, B. Fillmore, P. Bonner, S.
Patterson J. Mcintyre, D. Sherwood, D. Parks, and the CUPE Representative R.
Davidson.
(Deputy Mayor Chase entered the meeting during the above comments.)
Mr. Groody, through a computerized presentation, commented on the
process of change which resulted in the agreement; highlighted the proposed
agreement, noting the recommendations of the Perivale + Taylor report addressed by
it; and apprised Council of the monetary considerations in view of the recommended
introduction of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) into the salary determination. Mr.
Groody asked Council, after having heard from Mr. Parks and the Chief of Police, to
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COMMON COUNCIL
MAY 7,1997
ratify and authorize execution of the tentative agreement and the seven letters of
agreement, and authorize withdrawal of the application for judicial review of the Stanley
arbitration award.
Cst. D. Parks expressed the view that the proposed collective agreement
represented the foundation on which not only the Police Force would move forward but
so with the relationship between the Union and management, and that this foundation
was not built with the threat of an RCMP take-over, nor as a result of the Perivale +
Taylor Report or the Cormier report, but it was built on the interest-based negotiation
process, through a commitment on the part of the Union and the Chief to work together,
the spirit of cooperation which existed in the negotiating room, and the trust that finally
started to come together at the end of the process; and acknowledged the importance
of the support received from the Mayor and Council, City staff and the Union
membership in this regard.
Chief Sherwood commented on the effect of the collective agreement on
the operation of the Police Force and, in particular, how the agreement would permit
the Force to fall in line with the policing standards that are about to be set by the
Province, giving the Force stability in labour relations for another two and a half to three
years and, in his view, fostering a better level of service on the streets; and expressed
the belief that, despite the differences during a protracted period of time, a point has
been arrived at which is not only in the best interest of the parties but one that is most
certainly in the best interest of the citizens of Saint John and that, with dialogue and
open and frank communication, the parties have chartered a course with the common
objective to better serve the community and make Saint John a better place in which to
work, live and play.
On motion of Councillor Knibb
Seconded by Councillor Waldschutz
RESOLVED that as recommended by
the City Manager, Common Council: (1) ratify the submitted collective agreement
reached between the City of Saint John and the Saint John Police Protective
Association, Local No. 61, C.U.P.E.; (2) after review by the City Solicitor as to legality
and form, authorize the Mayor and Common Clerk to execute the collective agreement
on behalf of the City of Saint John; (3) ratify the submitted related letters of agreement,
seven in total, reached between the City of Saint John and the Saint John Police
Protective Association, Local No. 61, C.U.P.E.; (4) after review by the City Solicitor as
to legality and form, authorize the Mayor and Common Clerk to execute the seven
letters of agreement accompanying the collective agreement; and (5) upon execution of
the agreement, authorize the City Solicitor or his designate to withdraw the application
for judicial review of the arbitration award of Douglas C. Stanley, dated November 27,
1996, dealing with a Saint John Policemen's Protective Association, C.U.P.E. Local 61
grievance regarding vacation entitlement and sick leave accumulation.
During discussion Mayor McAlary extended an invitation to the members
of Local No. 61 and their families and to management to a reception for the official
signing ceremony of the collective agreement on Wednesday, May 14, at 4:00 o'clock
p.m., at a location to be determined.
Question being taken, the motion was carried.
Adiournment
The Mayor declared the meeting adjourned.
Common Clerk