Re:  Minutes of the UTE Political Action Committee Meeting – March 4-5, 2008

Political Endorsement of a Party or Candidates by UTE

The Committee met with Sister Bannon and Brother Campbell to discuss this issue. Sister Bannon advised that she had talked about this at AGMs 2 years ago and advised Locals that UTE would be entering the political arena via political endorsements.  At these meetings the National President advised that the members voiced no objections to this. After consultation with Sister Bannon, it was decided that a resolution will go to Convention on the issue of endorsing a political party or candidate(s).

Standing Parliamentary Committee on Government Operations

The PAC received a query from a Local regarding Compensation Issues and UTE’s input on the PSAC AS Round Table group. The National President advised the PAC that, in fact, UTE had a representative on this round table group and Compensation issues within the CRA formed part of the submission of this group to the parliamentary Committee. The current procedures on Compensation issues are that if Locals identify problems/concerns they are to send these items to the National President through their RVP. Sister Bannon has advised the Committee that this process appears to be working reasonably well. The Committee Co-Chair will respond to the Local who raised this issue.

Phased Retirement, 2007 Federal Budget

This issue has been the property of this Committee for some time and we have been following the status of this government initiative.  The Committee has been advised that this issue has been raised by members at the Local level in the last several months.  From the Committee’s research, this initiative is part of bill C-28, which received Royal Assent on Dec 14/07.  However, no decisions have been made as to whether the Federal Government or the CRA will participate in this initiative.  The National President will be requested to contact the employer as to the status of this initiative, and then to communicate the findings to all Locals.

Public Service Health Care Plan Cards

The National President assigned this issue to the Committee.  The Committee has reviewed the documents on this issue. As of the writing of this report, the Committee still requires answers to certain queries. Once those are received, the Committee will submit an article to the UTE Newsletter.  Currently on the PSAC website, there is a FAX YOUR MP campaign. We encourage members to use this option on the PSAC website to fax their MPs with their displeasure in the ongoing delays in implementing these cards.

Overlap between the PAC and the Communications Committees

The National President and the 1st VP (Chair of the Communications Committee) met with the PAC to discuss the roles of both Committees and the possible overlap of duties.  This has now been clearly defined, and has been acknowledged that there may be times when the two Committees will work together on certain issues. 

In solidarity,

Nick Stein, Chair
Cosimo Crupi, Co-Chair
Annette Melanson, Presidents’ Representative
Ottawa, Ontario