***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Feds Unloading RCMP Responsibility: Advocate
Yesterday, Assistant RCMP Commissioner Daniel Dubeau
unveiled the Mounted’s deficit reduction plans to staff. Entitled ‘RCMP Health Services
Modernization’, the memo outlines a number of crucial changes, some of which “require
authority to change legislation.” Among
the changes are: relegating medical costs from federal to provincial budgets,
privatizing supplemental health insurance, outsourcing disability case
management, and scrapping the RCMP’s current psychological support
program. It will also discard its
current leave-entitlement program for a “sick-leave bank system”.
Our Duty President Jeff Rose-Martland says these moves
amount to the federal government shirking responsibility. “Care of our national police force is being
dumped to provinces and private companies,” he said.
“By Act of Parliament, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is
a federal body. They serve by federal
appointment and they answer to federal authority. Whether they serve at home or abroad, Members
of the Mounted are employed by the Government of Canada. Members answer to the RCMP Commissioner, who
answers to the Public Safety Minister of Canada
The Our Duty President notes that the proposed changes will
result in inconsistent benefits for the Mounted. “Primary health benefits vary provincially,
which means Members will be covered - or not - based on where they serve. The cost of additional coverage will be
levied on the officers, which will mean a pay reduction that varies by
deployment.”
Rose-Martland also condemns the internal changes. “A leave-bank system means that Members will
have to earn time-off in advance. That
will have officers working when they are not fit because it’s January and they
haven’t earned sick time yet. Or worse,
they will have used their available time and have to return to work when they
are not capable of fulfilling their duties.
Leave-bank changes focus from performance to pay check. We should want our police operating at peak
ability, not mucking along until the boss says they can have time off again.”
He adds, “The outsourcing is going to alienate Members. Right now, whether it is disability
management or personal support, the Mounted looks after its own. These changes will have Members appealing to
outsiders and feeling abandoned by their peers.”
“The Federal government wants to use the Mounted but not
take care of them,” the citizen advocate concludes, “No matter how you spin
this, cost savings or efficiency, it still amounts to dereliction of duty.”
-------------------
NOT FOR PUBLICATION
Media Contact
---------------------
Jeff Rose-Martland
President, Our Duty
exec@ourduty.org
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BACKGROUND
RCMP Health Services Modernization
As a government organization, we have a responsibility to
spend taxpayer dollars wisely. Government agencies must always look for
efficiencies and the RCMP must focus on keeping Canadians safe.
Our Senior Executive
Committee set two overarching principles as the basis for the RCMP’s deficit
reduction exercise: minimize impacts on direct policing operations as well as
the impact on RCMP employees.
A number of our
proposals require authority to change legislation in order to move our initiatives
forward. On April 26, 2012, the Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act was
tabled in the House of Commons so I can now provide you with some high-level
detail on the RCMP Health Services Modernization proposals which will be
implemented over the next two years and contribute to the RCMP’s savings.
Basic Health Care
The Jobs, Growth and
Long-term Prosperity Act is proposing that Regular Members fall under the
Canada Health Act. If adopted, Regular
Members will need to apply to be covered by provincial health care. In
addition, the RCMP will also be working with provinces and territories on how
to implement this new process. This new approach to Regular Member health care
will allow the RCMP to modernize its Health Services program.
The inclusion of
Regular Members in the Canada Health Act will allow the RCMP to decrease
administrative functions that do not support core policing. This opportunity will also realize financial
savings for the RCMP and the provincial/territorial contract partners as
Regular Members would be defined as an “insured person” under the Canada Health
Act. Accordingly, Regular Members would no longer be billed to the contracting
jurisdiction as non-provincial residents, which previously added to the cost of
their treatment by as much as 200%.
If approved, a more
detailed implementation plan, including how to apply for provincial health
care/card, will be communicated to Regular Members.
Supplemental Health Care
Regular Members will
continue to obtain the health care services they require. In support of this,
the RCMP will be moving its supplemental health care program to an actual
insurance provider for supplemental health coverage rather than the current
internally funded program.
More information on
this initiative will be communicated as we move forward with implementation
plans.
Sick Leave
The RCMP is examining
the possibility of implementing a sick leave bank system. Under this proposal,
all Regular and Civilian Members would accumulate sick leave instead of the
current system of leave entitlements.
The RCMP is also
looking at establishing an internally-funded short-term disability program
based on a leave bank system. This program is part of an overarching Disability
Case Management Program to help manage a member’s return to work in a more
professional, beneficial and timely manner.
Disability Case Management
The RCMP is
modernizing the administration of its current Disability Case Management
Program by moving to an outsourced model which would have an external service
provider undertake the administrative functions related to the management of
individual member cases and associated return to work.
Member/Employee Assistance Program (M/EAP)
The M/EAP program
will transition to the Employee Assistance Services (EAS )
program from the current peer-based referral agent. Health Canada EAS ) provides
a referral service when addressing psychological services. EAS
is the largest public sector provider representing more than 140 organizations
and over one million clients across Canada
All employees
(including Regular Members) and their dependants will receive consistent,
timely, professional and confidential access to short-term counseling services.
Services will be available from
certified counselors 24 hours per day, 365 days a year though a telephone
service.
More information on
this initiative will be communicated as we move forward with implementation
plans.
I recognize that you
will have questions, especially on how these initiatives will impact you and
when they will be implemented. A dedicated team has been established to oversee
these Health Services Modernization initiatives. We will share more information
and details with all employees as soon as they become available.
Sincerely,
D.G.J. Dubeau,
A/Commr.
Chief Human Resources
Officer
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