Union News - September 2024
Dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
First and foremost, I hope that you took the opportunity to take some well-deserved time off with your loved ones over the summer months. With all the hassle and stress that comes with work, the summer period is an ideal time to rest and recharge, and to enjoy some sunshine before returning to work.
Since my last message, things have unfortunately taken a turn for the worse for many of our members working at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The employer has imposed a moratorium on the administrative conversion of term employees. The service performed by these employees will therefore not count towards the three (3) years of cumulative service required for administrative conversion to indeterminate (permanent) status, until the moratorium is lifted. We believe this was a hasty and premature decision, and our union strongly disagrees with it. We will continue to put pressure on the Agency to lift the moratorium as quickly as possible.
Continuing in the same vein, CRA announced on May 1, in an underhanded move and without any consultation with our union, that it would not be renewing the contracts of 2,000 of our term members working in its Contact Centres, whose contracts were due to expire on May 10. Quite the short notice for these loyal employees who helped the employer during the pandemic! This clearly shows a lack of class and respect. I say “in an underhanded move” because the Agency tried to bury the issue by announcing this bad news to affected employees on the same day that it casually announced, without consultation, that most of its remaining employees would have to report to the office in person for a minimum of three days a week as of September 9, 2024. The CRA followed Treasury Board's lead without any delay and without any discussion with the two unions representing the vast majority of its employees.
And all this was announced on May 1, International Workers' Day. What a slap in the face and an incredible lack of respect! Again!
What's more, the employer even contemplated suspending its employee recognition program for long years of service and retirement. After a forceful and swift intervention by our union, the employer abandoned this idea, maintaining the program and is currently conducting consultations on the matter. We will certainly follow up on this issue.
Given the employer's repeated lack of respect for our members and our union, we asked you to boycott all activities organized by the Canada Revenue Agency in connection with National Public Service Week 2024. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members who refused to participate in these activities, to clearly show the Agency's leadership that you are frustrated and frankly disgusted by their lack of respect, consideration and recognition for you, its employees.
In addition, the Executive Council of the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) has decided that our union representatives would withdraw from all formal Union-Management Consultation meetings at national, regional and local levels, and also withdraw our support, adherence and participation in the Union-Management Approach (UMA) until further notice. UMA has been in place for many years and promotes informal conflict resolution at the lowest possible level of union and management. While our union strongly believes in this approach, it has become clear that the employer does not, which has forced us to put it on hold for the time being.
The federal government and the CRA evidently don't give a damn about the well-being of their employees. With their decision to force most of you to come into the office in person at least three (3) days a week, they preferred to keep the Chambers of Commerce and business lobbies, as well as municipal and provincial politicians, happy.
To hell with the consequences for your quality of life, your work-life balance and your family!
To hell with the environmental consequences!
This is a purely political decision, made in the spur of the moment, that makes no sense whatsoever. In fact, the federal government has significantly reduced the number of buildings it owns or leases. It was talking about transforming federal buildings into affordable housing to help Canadians cope with the serious housing crisis. What's more, the government says it wants to take action to combat the climate crisis. Under these circumstances, it makes no sense to force hundreds of thousands of employees to travel unnecessarily to the office to “work collaboratively” even though the majority of employees on a team don't work on the same floor, in the same building, in the same city, or in the same province!!!! But that's all right. All you have to do is take part in Microsoft Teams virtual meetings at the office, even if you can do the same damn thing from home! That's what we call the “madhouse”! But never mind, the government wants you to “drive the economy” of these beloved downtown areas...
Many of you are furious, and rightly so. We understand and share your frustration.
The employer is well aware that the vast majority of you are strongly opposed to this decision. In fact, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) conducted a survey and nearly 95% of UTE members who responded indicated that they were against the CRA's decision. We told the employer as much. We also joined a petition launched by the major federal public service unions, and tens of thousands of public service employees answered the call and completed the petition.
As you read these lines, some of you will already have been affected by this measure, while others will not yet be, simply because the employer doesn't have enough space on its premises to house everyone. But according to the employer, it's only a matter of time.
I made it very clear to the CRA Commissioner that his decision was not acceptable, and that our union and you, our members, would fight together to make him change his mind or, at the very least, to make the employer suffer the consequences of his actions towards its employees. To this end, if the employer imposes a Work Arrangement Agreement (WAA) on you that does not suit you, I strongly encourage you to file an individual grievance against his decision, if you have not done so already. I invite you to contact one of your local union representatives to get assistance in filing your grievance. We will also take other collective recourses against the CRA's decision.
Over the past few weeks, the main federal public service unions, including the PSAC, had called on their members to participate in Labour Day Parades and activities across the country on September 9 to make your discontent heard. UTE has joined this movement, and we will continue to organize activities in workplaces and other locations to step up the pressure on the Agency and the federal government. We will also continue to denounce the employer's decision in the media.
We also denounced the decision to let go a couple of thousand of our members who used to work in Contact Centres, and the foreseeable negative impacts following this other bad decision by the employer, including a meteoric increase in waiting times and additional stress for those who still work there.
I'll say it again: the Canada Revenue Agency says it puts People First. But you know as well as I do that this is not true when it comes to its own employees.
Fall is shaping up to be a hot one. And I'm not referring to the weather.
Together, let's keep fighting for more respect, better working conditions and better workplaces.
In closing, I would like to thank you once again for the excellent work you do and your ongoing dedication to the Canadian public.
In Solidarity,
Marc Brière
National President