In Attendance:
Cosimo Crupi – Chair
Kimberley Koch – Co-Chair
Henri Vodon – Technical Advisor
Ashley Green – Member
Sébastien Tremblay – Member
Absent
Francis Snyder-Philippe – Member
Agenda Items Discussed
Acting Assignments
The committee discussed three major issues related to acting assignments to be addressed with the employer.
The first involves term employees on acting assignments. The committee noted that the employer has not been consistent in its approach to appointing term employees to acting assignments. In particular, it was noted that, with the exception of short term acting assignments lasting less than three weeks, term employees should be appointed directly into their assigned workload on a substantive position for the balance of the assignment.
The second involves long-term acting assignments extending beyond two years. The committee noted that, according to the most recent report provided by the employer, over 350 UTE members were on acting assignments lasing over two years, and some have been on those assignments for over 6 years. The committee affirmed its position that no acting assignment should last beyond two years, and its commitment to following up with the employer in an attempt to eliminate such practices.
Finally, the committee noted that reports received from the employer in regard to acting assignments lacked some relevant details, specifically as it related to members on cascading acting assignments. The committee resolved to request that the employer amend its reports in order to provide that information.
Non-advertised processes
The committee reviewed information supplied by the employer in regard to non-advertised selection processes. Issues that remain outstanding with the employer include the extent to which the CRA’s internal mobility bank may be used for acting assignments versus temporary or permanent lateral moves and a lack of information regarding acting assignments lasting less than six months.
The committee also noted the extensive use of non-advertised processes for external hirings, including permanent appointments of new hires.
Student hiring
The committee will continue to follow up with the employer on the use of students to perform work normally assigned to members of the bargaining unit. The committee was unanimous in it support for the onboarding of students within bargaining unit positions, and not within the SU-level positions that contain no formal job descriptions nor protections for their holders.
Conversion of term employees (moratorium)
The committee discussed the employer’s imposition of a moratorium on the conversion of term employees into permanent status and use of sunset funding. A lack of well defined parameters in the definition and use of sunset funding was identified as a concern by the committee, in particular as it could lead to arbitrary treatment of bargaining unit members.
The committee will be following up with the employer to communicate its concerns and to emphasise that, whenever such measures become necessary, they should be applied in a manner that minimizes “collateral damage”.
Accounting Credentials
The committee discussed numerous complaints received from members whose accounting credentials are no longer recognized by the employer. It was noted that the employer relies on a list of programs accredited through the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. The committee noted that such accreditation depends on an institution's willingness to pay for accreditation and not the quality of the courses offered.
The staffing committee intends to follow up with the employer and to encourage it to recognize accounting credentials based on merit and not on the profit-driven standards set by the CPA.
Job descriptions for members on a Temporary Lateral Move
The staffing committee received notification that the employer has refused to provide members with a job description, as required by the collective agreement, because they were assigned to a job through a Temporary Lateral Move. The committee supports efforts by the union’s labour relations officers to ensure such refusals to abide by the collective agreement are grieved and referred, when possible, for adjudication. This issue will also be addressed directly by the staffing committee with the employer.
Performance Management Redesign
Members of the staffing committee were invited to attend an update on performance management redesign provided by the employer. As per the information provided, this process has been ongoing since 2018, and is nearing completion. The committee supports the employer’s end goal of modernizing its employee evaluation and feedback process, and encourages addition consultation and involvement of the various stakeholders.
Employment Equity
The staffing committee received a referral from UTE’s Labour Relations personnel noting that the employer may not be properly applying its employment equity commitments when conducting selection processes. In particular, when appointing employees to positions where employment equity gaps exist, the employer has only applied those criteria for 50% of the total appointments, while making appointments without consideration for employment equity for the other 50%
The staffing committee will follow up with the employer to remind it that its own staffing policies do not allow for employment equity criteria to be treated as optional.
Arbitrary extension of probationary periods
The staffing committee notes that extensions of probationary periods, in accordance with CRA policy, must be limited to very specific and exceptional circumstances. The employer has increasingly relied on such extensions, without proper justification, only to later reject employees on probation.
The staffing committee will follow up with the employer to remind it that, in accordance with its own staffing policies, extensions of probationary periods cannot be arbitrarily imposed on members.
“Vid-cruiter”
The staffing committee learned that the employer has adopted a new, external, AI based tool for the evaluation of applications for employment with the CRA. This practice was implemented without appropriate consultation.
Among the concerns identified by the committee is the fact that this process involves an outside provider, that it has not demonstrated proper consideration for employee privacy and that it removes the human element from the recruitment process.
Reference checks for internal staffing
The committee discussed the employer’s ongoing use of reference checks for internal staffing. It was noted that such references are redundant, as the necessary information may be obtained through a Y280. Additionally, the dependence on reference checks has the potential of increasing the subjectivity of a selection process.
The committee will recommend that, if the employer wishes to continue making use of reference checks, it should expand the depth and breadth of individuals who may provide such references beyond immediate supervisors, and it should enhance its recourse procedures.
Discussion on the path forward (toward a more effective staffing committee)
The committee discussed its intentions to become a more effective conduit for the membership and locals to communicate their staffing related issues and concerns to the employer, and to advocate for positive solutions in the most effective ways possible. To that end, the committee plans to undertake several new initiatives.
The first step sought by the committee is to increase engagement with our local leadership through a survey seeking their feedback to identify staffing issues of concern and their recommendations for steps that the staffing committee may pursue to have the heard and addressed by the employer.
The second step seeks to increase engagement through a set of town hall meetings, on a regional level, involving two to three regions per town hall. The goal would be to follow-up on issues, concerns and recommendations received through the surveys.
The final step involves the recruitment of liaisons from each of the 60 locals. This initiative is intended to provide local leadership with direct access to the staffing committee and rapid response to staffing issues as they arise. In the process, the staffing committee would also become aware of staffing issues that may otherwise go unnoticed.
Details of the staffing committee’s proposed road map will be presented to the Executive Council. Any initiatives, including surveys and town hall meetings that may have associated monetary costs will require approval.