THUNDER BAY -- Local police officers can put their minds at ease in more ways than one that they have a new collective agreement.
The five-year deal announced on Tuesday between the Thunder Bay Police Board and the Thunder Bay Police Association not only includes an average annual pay increase of 2.13 per cent for officers retroactive to 2015 and through to 2019 but it also includes unlimited access to counseling services.
The deal applies to all the force’s 305 members, both civilian and sworn officers.
“I think there’s a growing understanding in can society of the impact stress has on individuals,” said board chair Jackie Dojack.
Dojack said removing the existing ceiling cost on mental health counseling reflects not only the effort to de-stigmatize mental health issues but the increasingly mentally challenging arena officers face in the city.
“We talk about post-traumatic stress. Sometimes it could be a single event that could cause difficulty with mental health. In other cases, we know it’s cumulative, year after year," she explained.
"Our frontline officers are going into very difficult situations on a daily basis, as are call takers and dispatch receiving these calls on a daily basis.”
Officers have been working without a contract since Dec. 31, 2014. Under the terms of the new deal, wages will increase 2.25 per cent retroactively to 2015, two per cent for 2016 through 2018 and 2.4 per cent in 2019.
A majority of association members approved those terms and pay increases in the contract will take effect immediately.
“It is in line with our counterparts across the province in similar-sized cities,” Dojack said.
“We’re all happy we have a five year agreement. From a police board perspective, that certainly helps us in terms of budget planning for the next four years.”
