The North Bay area has a lot of reservists and an announcement today in Thunder Bay means they'll see more green.
Reserve Force pay is being restructured to align with Regular Force pay where the demands of service are similar.
The new methodology for the Reserve Force applies the same base pay the Regular Force receives, plus the elements of the Military Factor that apply to reservists.
Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay – Superior North, Patty Hajdu, announced the change in pay structure today Thunder Bay.
The restructuring of pay is part of an overall vision outlined in our defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, which also includes increasing the Reserve Force by 1,500 members and further integrating reservists into operations. The Reserve Force is crucial to the success of our Canadian Armed Forces. Reservists come from all walks of life and include students, civil servants, labourers, business people, academics, and former members of the Regular Force.
Reservists will receive more money in this new system in order to more fairly compensate them for their important service.
Previously, Reserve Force pay was a simple 85 percent calculation of the total Regular Force pay. Regular Force pay is composed of two parts: base pay and Military Factor. The Military Factor is a percentage added to the base salaries of Canadian Armed Forces members that compensates them for additional requirements that don’t affect most public servants.
“This important initiative will ensure that our Reserve Force members are fairly compensated for their service," said Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence.
“Because of the sacrifices that our military personnel make every day, Canada remains among the safest and most secure countries in the world. Whether assisting in the recent spring flood relief efforts in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, or deployed on a peacekeeping mission halfway around the world, the Reserve Forces are a vital part of the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole, and the new pay structure reflects that,” added Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre, Commander, Military Personnel Command
The Military Factor is calculated using three military and two additional elements. The military considerations are personal limitation and liability, separation, and posting turbulence. The two additional elements are overtime and acting for supervisors without an increase in pay.
The Military Factor elements that apply to reservists under the new system are: personal limitation and liability, overtime, and acting for supervisors.
Reservists cannot be posted to a different geographic location or be sent away from their families on an operation or exercise without their personal consent. This is different from Regular Force members, who are expected to move or deploy when directed, often frequently and on short notice; therefore separation and posting turbulence are not applied as part of the Military Factor
The change of calculation from 85 percent to base pay plus Military Factor approach will result in an increase of 7.8 percent. For example, the pay rate for a first-year corporal will increase from $140 to $153 a day. Basic pay for a lieutenant “A” will increase from $147.62 to $161.18 a day.
Reservists will begin receiving the new rate by the end-month pay in August. That rate will be retroactive to 1 April 2019.
