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Saying the president of the Toronto Police Board “violated our confidentiality agreement” and spread “false statements” during contract negotiations, the union representing Toronto police officers has called for her resignation.

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“We have no confidence in her ability to continue to lead the Police Service Board,” Toronto Police Association president Clayton Campbell told his 8,000 members in a memo sent Wednesday night.

It all stems from a letter President Ann Morgan sent to the city council last week regarding the status of negotiations between the board of supervisors and the union.

“Chairman Morgan failed in his duty as the board’s chief negotiator, misled the city council and violated our confidentiality agreement,” Campbell said.

Morgan, an appointee of Gov. Doug Ford to the seven-member board, which has four city appointees and three provincial appointees, has not yet commented.

Neither did provincially appointed vice-president Lisa Kostakis, city councilors Lily Cheng, Amber Morley or Shelley Carroll, city councilor Chris Brillinger or provincial councilor Nick Migliore.

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At a time when it is no secret that relations between the police and the current mayor are not the best, Campbell does not hold back.

“It’s really unfortunate that our relationship with the Police Service Board has deteriorated to this point, but President Morgan has given us no choice,” Campbell told the Toronto Sun.

“After breaching our confidentiality and misleading the city council, we have lost all confidence in her ability to continue not only as lead negotiator, but also in her role as chair of the Police Service Board. We have asked her to withdraw and we eagerly await her response.”

The Toronto Sun will print its position if it responds to a request.

In her letter. provided to the Sun by a city council member who received it, she said: “On the last day of mediation, the Council’s Bargaining Committee proposed the following salary increases, which would have made TPS uniformed members the highest paid of Ontario for two of them. the three years of the contract: 2024: 4.75%, 2025: 4.0%, 2026: 3.0%” and that means “the current base salary of a police constable first class is $109,338 per year” , which would increase to “$122,686 per year.” until 2026.”

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Morgan, a former Crown attorney who is neither anti-police nor defunding the police movement believed to be by some left-wing politicians, told council that “since this proposal was made, the Peel Regional Police Service (Peel ) and Ontario Provincial. The police (OPP) have entered into agreements that exceed Barrie’s, both in terms of wages and non-wage elements” and “ATP is now trying to double or exceed other elements in the Peel settlements and OPP including retention pay for civilian members. of the Service, significant increases in retiree benefits and benefits, and special pay and allowances for several additional categories of uniformed and civilian Members. The cost of the TPA proposals for non-wage elements amounts to the equivalent of an additional 2.5% wage increase.

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She added that “the board cannot agree to the additional demands made by the TPA as this would come at the expense of investing in new officers and improving service levels” and would have “a negative impact on the welfare of our service members “.

Calling those claims “false,” Campbell told members that “the chairman’s letter violates the confidentiality agreement we entered into with the board throughout the negotiation process — and at mediation — and also includes more many false statements” and “attempts to make an illogical and wrong choice between the board’s commitment to hiring more members and the need to pay our members what they’re worth.”

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Officers also feel it’s no longer safe for them or their dogs and horses on the street, and there needs to be more respect and a better understanding of how dangerous it is for them in 2024 – as Chief Myron Demkiw pointed out, who recalled that more than 637 people. of his men and women had been wounded in the line of duty in the October shooting of an officer investigating a robbery.

The battle lines have been drawn. It’s a political football for Mayor Olivia Chow and Premier Doug Ford, as well as taxpayers. There was a lot of bad blood between the TPA and Chow, who officers felt did not support them enough when the member was shot last month and attended a “social event” instead of going to hospital.

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But this fight appears to be more about a Ford loyalist leading a Chow-dominated board. From a crime reporter’s perspective, it’s not hard to argue that Toronto police should be the highest-paid officers in Ontario and given the same attention as other public sector unions — even if policymakers haven’t supported electoral candidacies.

This was not lost on Councilman Bradford, who ran against Chow for mayor.

“It’s interesting that they’re arbitrating the cops, but we’re very happy to sit down and deal with ATU 113, the transit union that supported her the most during her campaign and got the richest, most lucrative collective bargaining agreement . deal in transit history,” he said.

Although they highlighted some of their core issues, the TPA did not endorse any candidate for mayor or premier in the last election.

But feeling that they have been undermined in the negotiations, they are now speaking out.

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