In a massive step toward unionizing for the first time in the force's history, RCMP members voted overwhelmingly to certify the National Police Federation as their new bargaining agent.

The National Police Federation (NPF) filed an application for certification at the Federal Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) in April 2018.

FPSLREB documents obtained by CBC News showed that of 14,459 ballots cast, 14,012 voted to certify the NPF. That's more than 97 per cent.

According to the documents, the NPF has been certified as the first bargaining agents for "all the employees who are RCMP members (excluding officer and civilian members) and all the employees who are reservists."

In a statement on the NPF website, the organization's co-chairs said the group is "in the process of serving Treasury Board with a 'Notice to Bargain' and will begin that phase shortly."

The Quebec Mounted Police Members Association had also applied, but only to represent the 900 frontline members in Quebec. Their application was dismissed by the FPSLREB on Thursday, according to the documents.

The Supreme Court of Canada in 2015 struck down a law that specifically forbade the Mounties from unionizing, saying it violated their charter rights to freedom of association.

The RCMP had been specifically barred from forming a union since the 1960s, when other federal public servants gained the right to collective bargaining. It was one of the only police forces in Canada with such a restriction.