President's Report - Executive Council

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS (AGMs):

On January 9, I informed Locals that the Information Systems Officer at the National Office, Alex Thon, would no longer be providing technical support for Local virtual or hybrid Annual General Meetings (AGMs). However, UTE National will continue to provide technical support for virtual or hybrid AGMs for Locals who want it. This service is provided by Electronic Language Communications Ltd (ELC).

Assistance to Locals in preparing for virtual or hybrid AGMs (downloading documents, practice meetings, etc.) continues to be provided by ELC technicians and Alex, as well as by Susan Duncan, Communications/Web Officer at the National Office.

In my message to Locals, I mentioned that the fact that UTE National will now exclusively use the services of an external provider during virtual or hybrid AGMs will significantly increase the cost of providing this service. I also mentioned that UTE National will continue to fully assume all costs related to the use of the Zoom platform and technical support for virtual or hybrid AGMs until the end of 2024. For hybrid AGMs, we will also continue to pay the costs associated with the virtual aspect. Locals will continue to be responsible for the costs of hiring a technician and operating the equipment at the physical venue.

The year 2024 will be the last in which UTE National will pay the full cost of technical support for virtual or hybrid AGMs. Therefore, I have strongly recommended that Locals take the above into account when preparing their next annual budgets. As of the year 2025, the two scenarios being considered are as follows: Locals will be fully responsible for the costs related to the technical support of virtual or hybrid AGMs, or we will implement a cost-sharing arrangement between UTE National and Locals. In a few months' time, we will advise Locals of our final decision on this matter.

Since my last report, National Officers have attended several Annual General Meetings (AGMs) across the country. I would like to thank the Locals for their cooperation in scheduling these meetings. As usual, members are very engaged at the meetings. They ask questions and want to be informed about the major issues they face in their workplaces.

On behalf of the National Officers, I want to congratulate our Locals on all their hard work, and thank them for their warm welcome and for their commitment and dedication to our members and our Union.

In closing, I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Alex Thon for all his hard work, professionalism and exemplary dedication in holding the virtual or hybrid Local Annual General Meetings since the beginning of 2021. I would also like to thank Susan Duncan for her invaluable help in preparing the AGMs.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL RETREAT:

The Executive Council Retreat took place at the Westin Hotel in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, from Tuesday January 16 to Thursday January 18, 2024. At the Retreat, Council set priorities for the next three years, and each Council member pledged to do his or her utmost to make the action plan a success. The meetings were very productive, and I would like to thank all the members of the Executive Council for their active participation, as well as our facilitator, Marquis Bureau, for his excellent work.

PSAC 2024 NATIONAL TRIENNIAL CONVENTION:

Pre-convention Committee meetings were held at the end of February at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. Brother Doug Gaetz sat on the Finance Resolutions Committee, Brother Adam Jackson on the Bargaining Resolutions Committee, and Sister Kimberley Koch on the General Committee. As for me, I took part in the work of the Constitution Resolutions Committee.

The 20th PSAC National Triennial Convention will be held at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa from May 26 to 31, 2024. UTE will be holding a caucus on Sunday, May 26, starting at 9:00 am. All UTE members attending the convention are invited to this meeting.

CANADA LIFE AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE HEALTH CARE PLAN:

On February 23, 2024, the PSAC filed a policy grievance on behalf of UTE to challenge the mismanagement of the transfer of the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) to Canada Life. This fiasco has had a major impact on tens of thousands of employees covered by the plan.

The policy grievance alleges that the Agency's actions violated the collective agreement by implementing the transition without regard for the rights of all members to a functional health care plan, and that it did so in a manner that also violated their Human Rights. 

Immediately following the transfer of the administration of the PSHCP from Sun Life to Canada Life, members began to face significant problems, including the interruption of their benefits, the inability to communicate with the insurer, long delays and arbitrary and unjustified denials of claims. 

Some members had to make the difficult decision to stop medical treatment because they could not afford to pay out-of-pocket and wait for eventual reimbursement from Canada Life.

In these circumstances, we feel that an apology is not enough to repair the damage already done, nor the damage members continue to suffer.

In an article to appear in the March issue of Union News, you will find a list of the damages we are seeking. In addition, we describe the process for appealing to the Public Service Health Care Plan's administrative authority, and provide a link to the website where our members can obtain all the details they need to file a notice of objection.

We continue to follow up with the PSAC on this matter.

JOINT CONSULTATION COMMITTEE ON VIRTUAL WORK ARRANGEMENTS:

The Joint Consultation Committee between the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on virtual work arrangements met again on December 11, 2023 and January 25, 2024. Another meeting is scheduled for April 22.

To date, the Committee has developed its terms of reference and identified a number of revisions to the current CRA Directive on Virtual Work Arrangements to propose to the Agency's senior management team. We have requested that the employer's response to these proposals be communicated to us at the next meeting.

The UTE representatives on the committee remained firm that the CRA must abandon its arbitrary decision to follow Treasury Board's directive to require 40% on-site presence, excluding the exceptions and exemptions already granted. To date, the Agency has been reluctant to accept our proposal and has indicated that it needs more time to examine this issue.

A joint communiqué from the Committee is currently being drafted and should be published in the near future.

Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available. 

CANADA REVENUE AGENCY PANEL ON VIRTUAL WORK ARRANGEMENTS:

Following the Letter of Agreement reached in the last round of negotiations, the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), after a series of meetings, have now established the mandate of the Virtual Work Arrangement Panel. The purpose of the panel is to help address dissatisfaction with decisions resulting from the application of the CRA's Virtual Work Arrangement Directive and the requirement for on-site presence at the CRA, which may change from time to time.

The group will consist of three union representatives and three management representatives.

The UTE representatives are:

Shane O'Brien, Senior Labour Relations Officer
Daniel Camara, Executive Assistant to the National President
Kristina Cooke, Labour Relations Officer
Wael Afifi, Senior Labour Relations Officer (Alternate)

CRA representatives are:

Natalie Waples, Director General, Workplace Relations and Compensation Directorate, Human Resources Branch
Heather DiPenta, Director General, Leadership and Learning Directorate, Human Resources Branch
Frank Pagnotta, General Manager, Partnerships Branch, Service, Innovation and Integration Branch.

RELOCATION OF THE UTE NATIONAL OFFICE:

We have officially ceased occupying the 8th floor of the PSAC building at 233 Gilmour Street in Ottawa.

All our equipment and materials have been transferred to the new office.

We have retained most of the chairs and filing cabinets, as well as some tables and desks, so that the mailroom, one of the meeting rooms and the kitchen are immediately operational. We have decided that all future employee workstations will be equipped with height-adjustable desks. In anticipation of receiving the new furniture, we have fitted out some offices to give our employees an acceptable place to work.

We are able to accommodate national committee meetings during this transition period. In addition, Regional Vice-Presidents visiting the national office will be able to use an office that will be made available to them should the need arise.

I would also like to inform you that access to our office on the 4th floor of 275 Bank Street will be strictly controlled. Anyone not in possession of an electronic access card issued by UTE National will not be able to gain access to the 4th floor. However, people will be able to go to the first floor of the building and contact our office to be granted access to our floor.

Moving our National Office is a complex and very demanding exercise, and I want to tell you that the National Office employees have worked very hard in preparing and executing this move. I would also like to acknowledge the exceptional work and dedication of my Administrative Assistant, Guylène Lepage, our Information Systems Officer, Alex Thon, and our Second National Vice-President, Brother Adam Jackson, who is in charge of this project. The other National Office Administrative Assistants, Doug Gaetz, First National Vice-President, and Daniel Camara, Executive Assistant to the National President, also worked very hard on this project, and I would like to thank them as well.

MEETINGS WITH THE CRA CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER:

I continue to have frequent discussions with the Agency's Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) on important and emerging issues. Among these, I have addressed issues raised by members working for the Winnipeg Compensation Client Service Centre.

I also had discussions with other senior Agency executives on current issues and topics such as :

• Assessment, Benefit and Services Branch (ABSB) Contact Centre hours Matrix for 2024;
• Meeting with Appeals Branch regarding contract renewals (use of Sunset Funding provisions);
• Visit to a CRA building to compare workspaces in the new Shawinigan National Verification and Collection Centre (NVCC) building;
• Files of members affected by interdepartmental and inter-agency transfers.

CONTRACT WITH THE OTTAWA HOTEL :

As mentioned in my last report, we have begun talks with a number of hotels with a view to signing a new three-year contract. We are currently in the final stages of reviewing the various proposals received, and expect to be in a position to sign a contract in the near future. 

We will keep you informed of any developments in this matter as soon as we have further information.

WEB/COMMUNICATIONS:

Our website is working well, and updates are ongoing.  The Communications Committee will be meeting in early March to prepare the April edition of the “Union News” publication.

INFORMATION/TECHNOLOGY:

The IT infrastructure (Internet services, network, printers, etc.) at the new office at 275 Bank St. is operational. We still need to set-up the boardrooms at the new office.

We are continuing to have virtual AGMs this year with 14 scheduled until end of April. ELC has been conducting our virtual AGMs and all seems to be going well.

Donations/Sponsorships

As of 15 March 2024

Non-UTE Union Events 

GRIEVANCE REPORT

DECEMBER 1st, 2023 to FEBRUARY 29th, 2024

During Q4, forty-two (42) new grievances were received in the National office. Fifty-five (55) grievances were presented. Thirty-two (32) final level replies were received from CRA, twenty-five (25) were denied, two (2) were partially allowed, three (3) were withdrawn, two (2) was settled.

1. Settlement discussions failed. Proceeding to 4th level hearing. Awaiting documents from member.
2. Grievance held in abeyance pending claim for damages arising from Phoenix pay issues.
3. One grievance awaiting hearing date, and 3 grievances from one member are in discussions for a settlement.
4. One file, waiting on member to provide requested documentation, including ATIP response.  One file awaiting for meeting with HQ function, and for the  three other grievances filed by one member, a MoS was signed on April 12, 2023 and will be implemented in the following year, having said that, these grievances are placed in abeyance until the employer has executed its obligations by April 2024.

There are presently two-thirty (230) grievances in the National Office inventory which have not yet been presented at the Final Level dealing with a variety of issues.

POLICY GRIEVANCES

Transition From Sun Life to Canada Life Policy grievance was filed by UTE in the last week of February 2024.

Regarding the Policy grievance for Scheduling of Vacation Leave: file was sent to the Representation Section date.

Regarding the Policy grievance for Scheduling of Hours of Work happening at Summerside local: Settled

CLASSIFICATION GRIEVANCES

There were no new classification grievances filed during this period.

INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY REVIEWS (ITPRs)

There was two (2) new ITPR grievances filed during this period.

CRA DIRECTIVES (FORMERLY NJC) GRIEVANCES

No CRA Directives formerly NJC grievances were filed during this period. 

MEMBERSHIP REPORT

January 2024

National President
ACTIVITY REPORT – MARCH 2024
MARC BRIÈRE

Acronyms

AGM – Annual General Meeting
CRA – Canada Revenue Agency
FAB – Finance and Administration Branch
GC – Government of Canada
HRB – Human Resources Branch
NBoD – National Board of Directors
NUMCC – National Union Management Consultation Committee
NVCC – National Verification and Collections Center
PSAC – Public Service Alliance of Canada
UTE – Union of Taxation Employees

Respectfully submitted,

Marc Brière
National President