London police reach 4-year deal with wage and benefits increases
CBC
The London Police Services Board (LPSB) and the union representing the police force have reached a new agreement that would give its sworn and civilian officers a 13 per cent wage hike and more mental health supports over the next four years.
The deal was made Monday evening and will be in effect from 2023 to 2026. It will also allow London police to fill gaps where they are lacking compared to other police forces across Ontario, said Paulo Domingues, president of the London Police Association (LPA).
"We were able to secure frontline officer incentives and specialty unit incentives, and we really were able to enhance some retiree benefits that go a long way to help our members who are struggling on the daily to deal with everything that is currently being asked of us," he said.
Frontline officers will get a three per cent salary increase over the next two years. Specialty units including forensics, tactical units, level-four reconstruction teams, criminal investigation division, and polygraph examiners will also get incentives, Domingues said.
"We have some highly skilled and trained specialty units who are all performing various specific duties that require intense training and we wanted to recognize them and so we were able to get some specialty pay for them," he said.
Salary raises over each year will be the following:
Last month, London police Chief Thai Truong presented a budget to LPSB asking for a $171 million increase from 2024 to 2027 that would add 189 new positions and enhance existing police technology.
The working agreement reflects the current realities and climate facing the London police and community and achieves an outcome that delivers a substantive and symbolic message, said LPSB chair Ali Chahbar in a news release.
"Our city, like countless other municipalities across the province, continues to observe and experience the challenges and real struggles associated with keeping police services properly staffed and resourced," he said.
The union is very happy with all the enhancements in the deal, but is especially proud of the mental wellness enhancements, said Domingues.
"Police in particular are among the highest working people to suffer from post-traumatic stress injury at a much higher rate than anybody else. It's always a challenge for our members to deal with the daily struggles, and there's no rest for them. They come in and perform their duties the next day."
He said it's important to increase access to services in order to assist LPA members and their wellbeing.
"While we appreciate and respect the difficult and dangerous work members of the London Police Service experience every single day, words of support alone will not suffice. This board will take the requisite steps necessary to ensure the safety, security and well-being of both our city and service," said Chahbar.
When the federal government tabled its 2025 budget last month, it included a proposal that tax fraud experts say is long overdue — if also a belated acknowledgement that the Canada Revenue Agency has been repeatedly duped into paying out untold millions in bogus tax refunds to scammers.
Talking with an AI chatbot can successfully convince people to change their votes and could affect the outcome of future elections, according to a new study.
While some are writing wishlists for Santa Claus, a group of Newfoundland and Labrador youth are writing their wishlist for the provincial government.
A horse owner near Stewiacke, N.S., says the current shortage of hay in the province is putting pressure on her financially.
Victoria Volkanova was remembering Jewish resilience and courage by celebrating Hanukkah on Sunday.
Winnipeggers are still digging out from this past week’s winter wallop, but the wait for roadside assistance is almost over, according to the provincial motoring association.
When long-time journalist Cornelia Naylor picked up the first copy of her newly printed community newspaper this week, it wasn’t something she had ever expected to do.
The province's police watchdog is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in Toronto Sunday.
Toronto police say a collision involving several vehicles in the city's east-end left one driver in life-threatening condition Sunday.
A church service in Stratford, P.E.I., brought together Christmas traditions from across the globe on Sunday.
On an extremely cold day, many people would prefer to stay home, cozy up under a blanket, and put on the TV, radio, or a favourite podcast.
In an era of Ring doorbells and No Soliciting signs, breaking the evening silence of a suburban London street can sometimes feel like a radical act.
For years, oil tanker traffic has been prohibited off the waters of northern British Columbia in order to protect environmentally sensitive coastlines from disaster.