Victoria鈥檚 withdrawal from the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association is a risk, and if it鈥檚 the wrong move, it will hit the taxpayers in the wallet.
City councillors have decided, after reviewing a consultant鈥檚 report at an in-camera meeting, to pull Victoria out of the association and to bargain directly with its unionized employees.
It鈥檚 a puzzling move for a municipality that has been a consistent proponent of studying the benefits of amalgamation, and it follows on the heels of Victoria鈥檚 reluctance to sign a mutual-aid agreement with five other local fire departments.
The labour-relations association was established in 1976 by Victoria, Oak Bay, Saanich, Esquimalt, the Capital Regional District and the Greater Victoria School District.
Part of the rationale was to present a united front so that municipalities weren鈥檛 鈥渨hipsawed鈥� into signing richer contracts than they otherwise might, simply because a neighbouring municipality had.
Over the years, other entities were brought into the association, which now has 18 member organizations, including the Victoria Police Department, the Greater Victoria Public Library, West Shore Parks and Recreation, and municipalities.
Discontent with the association is nothing new. As early as 1980, trustees in the school district were unhappy with the district鈥檚 membership in the association, saying relations with non-teaching employees had deteriorated. The school district pulled out in 1989.
In 1987, Esquimalt councillors were musing about leaving the association, unhappy at being too far removed from negotiations. Then-mayor Ron Warder said the association hired a 鈥渉ighly paid鈥� negotiator to handle bargaining.
鈥淲e have no say in the matter,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we had any responsibility for negotiations, it would be worthwhile, but we take no part in the discussions.鈥�
Saanich, too, became discontented with how negotiations were handled, and left the association in 1990, as a majority of councillors wanted the district to be able to bargain with its own employees.
Warder, apparently having undergone a change of heart, feared Saanich鈥檚 departure would have a 鈥渂ig effect鈥� on the future of the association.
鈥淪aanich will suffer as a result of the move to handle its own bargaining,鈥� he said.
Susan Brice, then mayor of Oak Bay and a strong proponent of the association, said her municipality would not follow Saanich鈥檚 lead.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been able to retain pretty stable labour relations for a number of years under the GVLRA,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to see that end.鈥�
The association survived without Saanich, but Victoria鈥檚 departure could seriously impair its effectiveness. A union-friendly council could agree to contracts that would set precedents for ensuing negotiations, which could be costly to smaller municipalities. Or wage gaps among the region鈥檚 municipalities could widen.
It鈥檚 not a matter of good guys versus bad guys. Just as it鈥檚 the job of unions to get the best possible deal for their members, municipalities should strive for the best deal for taxpayers. That means tough negotiations that require skill and experience.
鈥淚t [the GVLRA] was a good service for the city when the city joined,鈥� said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, but the city鈥檚 human-resources department performs many of the same tasks.
Metchosin Mayor John Ranns is not convinced, and he should know.
鈥淚 was a union president and negotiator and it seems like we can鈥檛 learn from history. I鈥檝e been through it before, and Victoria will be sorry,鈥� said Ranns, who is the association鈥檚 vice-chairman. 鈥淐UPE will be going to them first.鈥�
Perhaps Helps is right and Victoria can go it alone with no problems, but if she is wrong, it will hurt the taxpayers, not just in Victoria, but throughout the region.
