I read with great interest the pieces in the Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star this morning on provincewide collective bargaining for police services. This is an idea that has been floated before as a way to try and contain the rapidly escalating costs of policing in the province.
This is not a unique concept. Variations of provincewide bargaining already exist with teachers and nurses. As we know police contracts are currently determined through individual bargaining between Police Services Boards and the various Police Associations. One issue we have faced is constant jockeying amongst police associations to be the “highest paid” even if it is only for a few months. This is what constitutes the game of ‘leapfrog’, and it contributes to the ever-rising cost of policing.
That said, our job, as the Toronto Police Services Board, is to stay focussed and ensure our members are fairly paid in a way that is also fair to the taxpayers and residents of Toronto.
