Union News December 2018
While looking back over the past year, I realized how full it was.
The federal public service pay system (Phoenix) bears the name of a fabled bird, originally from Arabia and associated with sun-worship in ancient Egypt, where it was venerated, is definitely not glorified by our members. For the third year in a row, Phoenix continues to wreak havoc, which is why, this past summer, we decided to put pressure on the federal government to make changes to rectify this problem. UTE launched a country-wide campaign with the slogan "CAS CAN DO IT". We asked you and your families to sign cards to be sent to the Prime Minister asking for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to be authorized to use its Corporate Administration System (CAS) to pay its employees directly. You responded in great numbers, and I would like to thank you very much. More than fourteen thousand (14,000) of those cards were delivered to the office of the Prime Minister on September 28 during a rally in Ottawa.
That same day, we met with the parliamentary secretaries of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the Treasury Board and the CRA. They tried to convince us that it would require just as much time to finalize the development of the CAS system as it would to introduce a new system to replace Phoenix. We were clear that we do not agree, and we are continuing to put pressure on the government.
We are also in discussions with the office of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, in an attempt to convince her and the Liberal government that the CRA should re-open the client service counters. This would round out the current service offerings and better serve the Canadian public, especially the most vulnerable people in our society, by providing in-person service.
Of course, 2018 marked our return to the bargaining table with the CRA and the Treasury Board. To date, bargaining has been moving far too slowly. Given that we have been without a new contract for over two years, this situation is totally unacceptable. This is why we arranged a country-wide National Day of Action on Tuesday, November 27. We asked our 60 locals to organize an activity of their choice that was visible, so that the employer sees how frustrated our members are with the lack of real progress at the bargaining table. We also want to draw the attention of the public and the media to the situation we are experiencing. I encourage you to continue to give your full support to your bargaining team, which is doing everything it can to improve your working conditions.
Bringing back respect for federal public servants and their union representatives, which Prime Minister Trudeau talked about during the last federal election, must be achieved through a serious, productive and timely round of bargaining. Our members are fed up with waiting, and rightly so. Things need to happen at the bargaining table! And fast!
I would like to thank you for supporting YOUR union. We’re here to serve you and represent you, but we still need your support. Our strength lies in our unity, bringing everyone together in the same direction.
In closing, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful time of joy during the holiday season. And may the new year bring you joy, happiness and prosperity!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Yours in solidarity,
Marc Brière
National President