By Charles Lefebvre

Mediator appointed to assist city, Police Association in contract negotiations

Feb 13, 2018 | 1:11 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Medicine Hat Police Association and the city are still negotiating a new contract.

According to the Alberta Ministry of Labour’s bargaining update for January 2018, the two sides have entered mediation after still being unable to negotiate a new contract.

The current contract was ratified in 2014, and expired on December 31, 2016.

Throughout 2017, the city bargained with several unions to agree to a wage freeze for last year as part of its Financially Fit for the Future plan.

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The city ratified agreements with the Medicine Hat Firefighters Association, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (which represents city employees), and the Local Union 254 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who represent employees within the city’s electric generation, electric distribution and water treatment plants last year, and all agreed to a wage freeze for one year.

A representative from the Medicine Hat Police Service was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.

CHAT News reached out to the City of Medicine Hat for comment, and they released the following statement from James Will, general manager of human resources with the city.

“Pursuant to the Police Officers Collective Bargaining Act, the Director of Mediation Services has appointed a mediator in an attempt to effect a settlement,” the statement reads. “The parties have met once with the mediator in an attempt to reach an agreement.

“The mediator remains involved until either a settlement is reached between the parties or the mediator decides that he is unable to effect a settlement. If an agreement is not reached through mediation, interest arbitration is available to the parties in Part 3 of the Police Officers Collective Bargaining Act.”