Module 3: UTE Structure, Roles and Responsibilities

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

  • Explain how UTE fits into the larger PSAC structure,
  • describe how they, as a union member, fit into the UTE structure,
  • identify the basic levels of UTE’s structure,
  • give examples of what each level is responsible for,
  • explain why UTE operates at these various levels of structure.

Introduction

UTE is one of the 15 Components of the PSAC. Our members work for a separate agency, the CRA.

Components bring together members who work for the same government department, agency or territorial government.

UTE is structured to ensure that our union is run the way it should be… "From the bottom up". Our component is organized into 60 Locals, from St. John's to Victoria.

Each region is represented by a Regional Vice-President, an Alternate Regional Vice-President and each local is in turn, represented by an executive consisting of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and Stewards. Locals form the foundation of the union.

Locals

As of May 2023, UTE has 60 Locals. Each local is represented by an executive that is elected at their AGM.

  • Main responsibilities:
  • First point of contact
  • Representing members
  • Highlighting issues at local level
  • Set local dues
  • Financial administration procedures
  • Elect local executive
  • Conduct membership meetings

Normally the local executive consists of a president, one or more vice-presidents, a secretary and a treasurer. Local executives may also have a health and safety officer, an equity/human rights officer and/or a women’s officer and/or anti-harassment officer and an education officer. The chief steward is usually a member of the local executive and chairs the stewards’ committee.

Local Officer Duties

The local executive is collectively responsible for the day-to-day business of the union at the worksite and for connecting to other labour and social justice partners within their geographic jurisdiction. Some of the duties of the elected local/branch officers include:

The President

  • Is the chief executive officer and coordinates the administration of local affairs through the other officers and local/branch committees.
  • Presides at all membership meetings and executive meetings of the local and is an ex-officio member of all committees of the local.
  • Decides, by application of the rules of order, all questions of procedures as chairperson.
  • Is the chief spokesperson of the local in its dealings with management.

The Vice-President

  • Performs the duties of the president in case of the absence or resignation of that officer.
  • Conducts meetings on behalf of the president or assumes the chair when the president vacates it for any reason during a meeting.
  • Is responsible for specific portfolios as assigned by the local.
  • Assists chairpersons of committees as required and may chair committees as assigned by the local.

The Secretary

  • Is responsible for the administrative duties of the local.
  • Records the minutes of all membership and executive meetings.
  • Administers all communications emanating from or received by the local.
  • Administers the reports of committees.
  • Works closely with the president on all local matters.
  • Maintains a filing system for the local.

The Treasurer

  • Is accountable to the local executive for all finances (receivable and payable).
  • Prepares and submits financial reports to each executive or general meeting.
  • Collects and deposits local funds.
  • Carries out other duties as delegated by the local.
  • Alerts the local executive about rand members (dues paying members who have not joined the union) so that they can be signed up.

The Chief Steward

  • Recruits stewards, organizes and chairs the stewards’ committee/network.
  • Sets up and maintains a communication system amongst the stewards.
  • Advises stewards and provides guidance and support on some of the tougher cases.
  • Tracks grievances and complaints to ensure time limits are respected and files are complete.

Locals should become actively involved in the activities of PSAC, their region, their component, their community and the labour movement. It is only through working together that our goals of justice can be achieved.

Regions

As of May 2023, UTE has approximately 35,000 members. These members are broken down into 10 regions and within them, Locals. Each region is represented by a Regional Vice-President (RVP), and an Alternate Regional Vice-President

The 10 regions are different from the CRA regions. The UTE regions are as follows:

  • Atlantic
  • Greater Toronto Region
  • Montréal
  • National Capital Region
  • Northern / Eastern Ontario
  • Pacific
  • Prairie
  • Québec
  • Rocky Mountains
  • South Western Ontario

Each RVP and Alternate RVP is elected at the UTE Triennial Convention for a term of three years. RVPs are responsible for each Local within their region, they are the voice of the region at Executive Council, and represent members in grievances at the third level to the Assistant Commissioner. They also provide guidance and advice to Locals when required.

Executive Council

The Executive Council comprises the National President, the First and Second National Vice-Presidents (NVPs) and the 10 Regional Vice-Presidents (RVPs). The Executive Council meets at least four times annually to discuss any issues that arise between Triennial Conventions. Members may attend as observers, at the Local’s expense. 

Executive Committee

The UTE Executive Committee deals with issues referred to by the Executive Council. The Executive Committee is composed of the following officers: The National President, the two NVPs and one RVP (who serves on a rotational basis). It may conduct the affairs of our union between Executive Council meetings.

Committees

There are currently 14 Standing Committees that deal with issues of ongoing importance to UTE members. Members of these committees attend meetings with the employer, monitor compliance with our contract, and support the training and education of our members. They are:

Standing Committees are usually made up of at least two Executive Council members, a Staff technical advisor and one or two Local members elected every three years at the September meeting, of the twice-yearly National Presidents’ Conference.

National staff

At the UTE National Office located in Ottawa, there is the national President and his/her Executive Assistant (appointed position), the 1st Vice-President and the 2nd Vice-President. Currently the UTE permanent staff is compromised of the following:

  • Administrative Assistant to the National President
  • Information Systems Officer
  • Web/Communications Officer
  • Finance Administration Supervisor
  • Finance and Administration Officers
  • Assistant Finance Administration Officer
  • Senior Labour Relations Officer
  • Labour Relations Officers
  • Support/Administrative Staff

UTE Triennial Convention 

Convention is the governing body of the UTE. For the purpose of representation at a Convention, each Local is entitled to one (1) delegate with full voting rights for each block of two hundred (200) members in good standing or fraction of this number during the calendar year preceding the Convention. Every delegate must be a member in good standing of the local. These delegates elect and provide direction to the elected national officers.

Convention decisions are binding. This is when UTE By-Laws and Regulations are adopted, modified or rescinded and it is when the union’s administrative budget is adopted. Convention occurs every three years.

PSAC National Structure

PSAC is a democratic union and is organized in a variety of ways to provide opportunities for members to voice their opinions, concerns, thoughts and to participate in the day-to-day life of their union. The PSAC Constitution sets out the political structure, roles and responsibilities of the various groups that make up PSAC.

Alliance Executive Committee (AEC)

Composition: 

  • National President
  • National Executive Vice-President (NEVP)
  • Seven Regional Executive Vice-Presidents

Responsibilities:

  • Daily operations of PSAC

Meets once a month or as required.

National Board of Directors (NBoD)

Composition

  • Alliance Executive Committee
  • Component Presidents

Component locals/branches are represented at the NBoD by their component president.

Responsibilities:

  • Major program and policy decisions between national triennial conventions

They meet three times a year and can call a Special meeting. Meetings of the NBoD are open to observers. In order to send an observer, the local/branch must contact the component president or the REVP.

PSAC National Triennial Convention

  • Supreme governing body of PSAC
  • Members vote on 
    • union policies
    • priorities
    • election of:
      • National President
      • National Executive Vice-President
      • Alternate National Executive Vice-Presidents

PSAC staff

PSAC staff work as directed on matters of concern to the whole membership, such as collective bargaining, education, equity programs, health and safety, representation, organizing, mobilization and public relations.

They are organized into seven branches:

  • The Executive Office Branch
  • The Regional Offices Branch (23 regional offices, at least one in every province and territory)
  • The Negotiations and Programs Branch
  • The Representation and Legal Services Branch
  • The Finance Branch
  • The Human Resources and Information Management Branch
  • The Communications, Political Action and Campaigns Branch

UTE vs PSAC responsibilities

 

UTE

PSAC
Bargaining
  • Standing Bargaining Committee collects bargaining demands from the locals and the UTE LROs.
  • Proposes a program of demands to the National Bargaining Committee (PSAC).
  • Members of the UTE bargaining team, jointly with the PSAC, represent and defend UTE members’ interests at bargaining meetings with employer representatives.
  • The National President and 2nd National Vice-president sit on the National Strategy Committee (PSAC).
  • Bargaining unit: SP group and MG-SPS group.

 
  • National Bargaining Committee prioritizes all bargaining demands and submits them to the PSAC Collective Bargaining Branch.
  • Members of the UTE bargaining team, jointly with the PSAC, represent and defend UTE members’ interests at bargaining meetings with employer representatives.
  • Bargaining agent.

 
Day to Day activities
  • Represents 35,000 employees of Canada Revenue Agency.
  • Covered under one collective agreement (the Program and Administration Services agreement).
  • The fourteen (14) standing committees deal with issues of ongoing importance to UTE members.  Members of these committees attend meetings with the employer, monitor compliance with our contract, and support the training and education of our members.

 
  • Represents nearly 255,000 workers in every province and territory in Canada and in locations around the world.
  • Members work for federal government departments and agencies, Crown Corporations, universities, casinos, community services agencies, Aboriginal communities, airports, and the security sector among others.
Grievance procedure
  • Assists the member in filing a formal written grievance to management and represent the member.
  • UTE Local representatives in the specific workplace where the problem occurred normally handle first and/or second level grievances. Third level grievances are generally submitted to the Agency’s Assistant Commissioners. These grievances are put forward and argued by UTE RVPs. The UTE Labour Relations Officers, working out of our national headquarters, handle final level grievances.
  • Assists members in resolving issues informally when possible.

 
  • If not resolved to the member’s satisfaction, the PSAC can decide on the merits of the case whether to take the grievance to a quasi-legal forum called adjudication, if applicable.
  • The Representation section presents the case to the FPSLREB, an independent quasi-judicial statutory tribunal, responsible for administering the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems in the federal public service and in Parliament.
Human Rights, Worker’s Compensation
  • If the grievor wishes to refer to adjudication an individual grievance that raises an issue involving the interpretation or application of the Canadian Human Rights Act, he or she must give notice of the issue to the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) using Form 24 (Notice to The Canadian Human Rights Commission), and send a copy of it to the FPSLREB.
  • A workers’ compensation claim is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment.
  • The Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA) provides coverage through Provincial Workers Compensation Boards (WCB), including the Commission de la santé et sécurité du travail (CSST) in Quebec, for all federal government employees except members of the Regular Force of the Canadian Forces. Compensation amounts vary from province to province.
  • Locals can assist in the working of a workers’ compensation claim.

 
  • The Representation section will analyze and potentially represent the member’s the human rights complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, depending on a number of considerations.
  • All PSAC members are covered by the compensation board in the province or territory in which they work, not on the province or territory where they live. Regional offices of the PSAC will be your point of contact and potential representation on workers’ compensation issues.
Education programs
  • Education courses in “Grievance Representation”, “Staffing and Recourse”, “Local Officers Training”, and “Talking Union Basics”.
  • As a PSAC “component union”, the UTE is able to offer its members the full and impressive scope of Alliance education courses.

 
  • Education courses range from a single day’s seminar to a full week’s school. Topics are as varied as steward’s training, health and safety, human rights and political action.
  • Includes an Online Education Program of introductory courses.
  • The broad goals of the education program are defined by the Standing Education Committee of the National Board of Directors and are outlined in the National Education Policy.
  • Regional education committees determine the education programming for each region.

 
Membership communication

Local, RVP, National

  • Bulletins are sent to all UTE Locals for distribution to their members.
  • Three times a year a UTE newsletter is mailed directly to each member’s home.
  • UTE headquarters sends out information packages to Locals which contain bulletins, publications and information from a wide range of sources, including the UTE, the PSAC, the Canadian Labour Congress, Canada Revenue Agency, Treasury Board and the media.
  • Our website (ute-sei.org) includes bulletins, minutes of national meetings, a contact page.

PSAC’s Regional Offices, REVP, National

  • Mailing list.
  • Union Voice is a triannual printed publication mailed to all PSAC members across Canada. Includes member stories, campaign victories, collective bargaining news, a letter from the President, and other stories of interest to the members.