Bill C-45

Bulletin
21/12
Date

TO: Executive Council
       Alternate Regional Vice Presidents
       Local Presidents
       LRO

RE: Bill C-45


Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Buried at the end of the government’s second massive bill to implement the budget is a clause to replace section 58 of the Canada Revenue Agency Act.  The replacement reads as follows:

“Before entering into collective bargaining with the bargaining agent for a bargaining unit composed of Agency employees, the Agency must have its negotiating mandate approved by the President of the Treasury Board and it must consult him before determining certain other terms and conditions of employment for its employees.”

As you will recall, and any member of the past two negotiating teams can attest to, having the Agency negotiate on its own with us and not having the Treasury Board involved has resulted in two decent agreements that were negotiated before the expiry of the past ones.  This was not simply by luck.

Now, the Treasury Board Secretariat feels that they need to approve all bargaining mandates before a new agreement is struck.  Not only will this add to the length of time to get a new agreement but puts up an obstacle to an agreement that serves anyone’s best interests other than the Treasury Board.

Tony Clement is the President of the Treasury Board Secretariat and, considering his new found interest in controlling your, and my collective agreement, the National Political Action Committee is suggesting we all send him the cover page of our copies of the collective agreement that is now expired.

Bulletin 18-12 (available at https://www.ute-sei.org/en/news-events/bulletins/1812) explains from our National President Bob Campbell why the inclusion of this clause in the budget implementation act does not make any sense.
Tony Clement can be reached by mail at (Hon.) Tony Clement, President, Treasury Board Secretariat, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6.  No postage is necessary.

In Solidarity,
Adam Jackson's signature

Adam Jackson Chair
UTE Political Action Committee