Mélissa Gélinas LJI Reporter

The City of Gatineau and the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Gatineau (FPPG) ratified a new collective agreement for this group of employees on June 26, after it was unanimously adopted by City Council.

“What you need to know is that the current agreement expires on December 31,” said Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Mayor of Gatineau. “So, yes, we negotiated in advance, and the process was productive.”

The new employment contract, which will take effect on January 1, 2026, for a period of five years, provides for the hiring of 45 new police officers who will gradually join the teams over the next few years.

For FPPG President Steve Spooner, the addition of new staff represents a victory. “This will give us greater operational flexibility and allow us to create new sections, including a very interesting one called ‘Citizen Services’. In this unit, officers will go directly to those who are housebound, make appointments, and prioritize emergency calls received at the police station,” he explained.

The new agreement provides, among other things, salary increases of 24% over five years and the introduction of a seniority bonus representing 2.5% over five years. “There was definitely some catching up to do; we see this with the recruitment and retention issues,” said the mayor.

According to Mr. Spooner, it was difficult to attract new officers due to the low salary scale rates, especially in an inflationary environment. “The introduction of a seniority bonus that rewards loyalty will certainly help stem the exodus of experienced officers,” he believes. “We are now very competitive and believe we can attract young people graduating from Nicolet [Quebec’s National Police Academy].”

Photo: Steve Spooner, President of the Gatineau Police Brotherhood, accompanied by Maude Marquis-Bissonnette, Mayor of Gatineau, at the signing of the new collective agreement on June 26 (MG) Photo: Courtesy of Maude Marquis-Bissonnette