Union News - April 2025
Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
Unfortunately, the bad news from the employer keeps piling up. The Agency is facing budget cuts as part of the federal government's “Refocusing Government Spending” exercise. In January, the Agency carried out a Workforce Adjustment (WFA) affecting approximately one hundred of our indeterminate members. Fortunately, all affected members were offered a guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO). The employer has also terminated temporary assignments for thousands of employees. In addition, the Agency continues to prematurely terminate contracts or not renew contracts for hundreds of term employees. I wish I could tell you that the rest of 2025 will bring happier times, but there is no indication that this will be the case.
At the end of January, I met with the Agency's Commissioner to discuss this difficult situation and to discuss some of the issues and the impact that all these decisions are having on employees. I asked him if the moratorium on the administrative conversion of term employees to indeterminate (permanent) status would be lifted in the foreseeable future. The Commissioner informed me that this would not be the case. During the meeting, I demanded that the cuts apply to all levels of the organization, including for excluded managers and the executive level (EX) employee community. Indeed, the Agency does not need the same number of excluded managers and executive-level employees to manage fewer employees. At the end of March, I had another discussion with the Commissioner to reiterate that we demand that the employer ensure that all employees who lose their jobs are treated with the utmost respect and dignity in all circumstances. Losing a job is one of the saddest and most traumatic events in a worker's life. The least the employer can do is to ensure that its managers be tactful, compassionate and respectful in such circumstances. This includes giving reasonable notice to affected employees who lose their jobs. In fact, managers at all levels of the Agency must ensure that they treat their employees with respect in all circumstances.
Meanwhile, our union is preparing to deal with other difficult situations, including more Workforce Adjustment (WFA) exercises. In this regard, PSAC representatives came to make a presentation to our union representatives at the last UTE Presidents' Conference held in Ottawa a few weeks ago. Discussions and preparations are underway with Agency representatives to set up WFA committees at the regional and local levels. The National WFA committee is already in place.
By the time you read this, the federal election may already be a thing of the past. I hope you took the opportunity to exercise your democratic right to vote for the candidate and party of your choice.
No matter who is in power, our union will continue to denounce job cuts at the Canada Revenue Agency. We will make representations to elected officials of all political parties, including the next Minister of National Revenue, to uphold your rights and defend your interests. The emphasis will obviously be on protecting jobs and defending quality public services. We will also continue to ask questions about the increased use of artificial intelligence and the risks this entails for the job security of our members.
Sisters, Brothers and Friends, I would like to once again express our Solidarity and support in these difficult times. Your union representatives are there to support and listen to you. I invite you to contact your local representatives if you have any questions or concerns, or if you need representation.
Thank you for your dedication to the Canadian population. We are proud of you and appreciate all the good work you do every day.
In Solidarity,
Marc Brière
National President